Days of Ruin
by Sinasta
Summary: An unexplained event forces Zoro to travel for survival. Follow him and the companions he'll find through a devastated land filled with crazies and monsters. AU, Yaoi AceZoro & WiperLuffy . Rated M for violence and probable smut in later chapter.
1. Decadence

**Warning: the story will lead to yaoi (male x male relationship) in later chapters, possibly with mature scenes. You've been warned. Don't like, don't read and please don't flame.**

**Disclaimer: characters from One Piece and all other references belong to their respective creators.  
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**Author's notes can be found at the bottom.  
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Tarbes, modest mountain town and home of Roronoa Zoro…

The nineteen years old man was an average first year student, easily annoyed by his classes at the local university. It wasn't rare for him to even sleep through some of them, teachers having long learned that waking up a grumpy Zoro was a terrible mistake. He wasn't planning on preparing a common job anyway. Swordsmanship was his life and he fully intended to make a living from it.

Back when he was seven, kids from his orphanage had been invited to a charity event where they could practice various sports with some celebrities. Somehow, his natural talent when handling swords caught the eye of the world champion who then offered to support him so he could attend the best dojo in the country. Three months later, he was moving in Tarbes, meeting master Koshiro and suffering his first defeat against Kuina, his daughter.

Twelve years later, the reckless green-haired kid had grown into a great fighter and an attractive muscular young man. Daily training had greatly improved his skills, allowing him to become the seventh best swordsman in the world despite his young age. He and Kuina had become both best friends and rivals, spending much time together while competing to become number one before the other. She was currently number six and Zoro had yet to defeat her since their first duel.

Her dragging him to school was the main reason why he still attended it. She frequently threatened to give him hell if he didn't comply and he knew better than to get on her bad side. People who barely knew them often compared them respectively to a demon and an angel. The few who had the privilege to witness a pissed off Kuina knew she could make the Devil himself cower in fear.

Over time, Saturdays had become a real tradition for the two of them. They would spend all morning at the dojo, training together then sparring until one was too exhausted to keep up. Then they'd rest a bit while having lunch, Kuina's home being simply located on the second floor, above the training grounds. The rest of the day would usually be spent relaxing, which could vary from lazy cloud-gazing naps to crazy activities in town with some of their friends.

Today should have been no exception, so when Zoro woke up lying on the floor of his small student flat with his watch reading 2:38 PM, saying he was surprised was quite the euphemism. His head was killing him but he forced himself to focus on what he could recollect from his blurry memory.

He could remember jumping out of bed, cursing whatever wicked sadist had imagined such unbearable wake-up ring-tone and made sure it could _not_ be changed. Why the hell did his much smoother alarm clock set ten minutes earlier have to shut down so often?

After an invigorating shower, the greenhead had quickly gotten dressed, putting on a white shirt with his trademark black bandanna tied around his left arm, some black trousers and his usual black rangers. He had always preferred simple light clothing and never wore any jewelry aside from the three identical golden earrings on his left earlobe.

Having a simple breakfast all the while, he had also prepared his small backpack, putting in two bottles of water and his black sleeveless training gi along with some spare clothes in case he slept over. He had finished by fastening his two swords on top of the bag. Last thing he could remember was searching for his keys before leaving. There was only darkness after that.

To his surprise, aside from his fading headache, he felt perfectly fine. He was wondering what might have caused him to faint when his phone intrigued him. He had been out for nearly six hours, yet there was no call, no message, not even a text from Kuina. She knew he wouldn't be _this _late unless something was wrong and she'd have come to check on him, even if it meant busting through the front door.

His concern about himself switched to his best friend. Failing to reach her by phone didn't make it any better. Network, Internet, power… everything was down. It wasn't just him anymore; something bad was going on for sure and there was only one way to find out. Faster than ever, he picked all his stuff up and left his small flat.

Zoro wasn't one to be easily nervous but even he couldn't ignore the creepy atmosphere emanating from the residence. Not a single student in the corridors, no sounds or music coming from the other rooms. The ordinarily lively place was literally devoid of life. What worried him most though was the oppressive silence coming not from inside but from the outside. Apprehension was getting to him as he rushed down the four staircases leading to the entrance.

What he found out on the street outmatched everything he had imagined. Countless people were lying face down on the pavement, showing no sign of breathing. Numerous cars had either bumped into others or simply crashed into walls or various urban equipments; some were even on fire. Most drivers were still on their seat, apparently in the same condition as those on the ground. Others had been thrown out of their vehicle while the most unfortunate ones were burning inside it. At least two buildings were also being prey to the flames but trails of thick black smoke tainting the cloudless cerulean sky hinted that there were others around town.

Close to the door he had just come out of, the greenhead recognized the Denton twins, Alex and Axel, some of the very few people he had befriended over the years. Crouching down, urging them to open their eyes, he checked their pulse only to understand they'd never wake up. Surprisingly though, they were lacking the usual cadaveric rigidity, like they weren't really dead. After examining a few more bodies without any better result, he shouted for help but soon gave up. It didn't look like there was any other survivor, at least not in the vicinity.

Fighting off the fear and desperation rising inside him, he hurried in the dojo's direction, the same scene of unexplained death repeating itself at every corner. Corpses of dogs and pigeons here and there seemed to indicate that animals had shared the same fate. He kept yelling from time to time but no one ever answered him.

Running through the desolated streets of Tarbes, he tried searching for a radio broadcast on his mp3 player but no matter the frequency, all he could hear was silence or static. At best, the local radio relays weren't working anymore. At worst, things were as bad in other towns as they were here…

Minutes later, his destination finally came into view and he was relieved to see that the traditional wooden building wasn't engulfed in flames. Sprinting through the front courtyard, he stopped abruptly at the main entrance door. His extended hand so eager to open the door the previous second was now frozen by hesitation. As much as he wanted to check on his best friend, he was afraid of finding only her lifeless body. He was but the only living person among the dozens of dead people he had come across. Statistically, he knew he'd better to prepare for the worst.

Gathering up enough courage, Zoro slid the door open. The large training room was empty and awfully quiet. He wasn't surprised not to find anyone here. If everything happened at the same time he had fallen unconscious then Kuina and master Koshiro were probably still upstairs. Dropping his bag on the floor, he headed up the stairs, calling their names though not really expecting an answer. When his eyes arrived at ground level, his heart skipped a beat.

Kuina was sprawled on the floor near the top of the stairs. Judging from her sword Wado Ichimonji lying close to her hand and from the white training gi she was wearing, she was certainly about to go down and start her warm-up. She had that peaceful face he'd admired many times while watching her sleep. However, like all those people on the streets, she showed no sign of breathing. Crouching at her side, the greenhead carefully set his hand on her neck and waited for the verdict he feared so much.

No pulse.

At first, he didn't move, hoping in vain to detect any feeble trace of life. Then tears were welling up in his eyes. All the emotions he'd fought so hard to ignore on his way here were finally catching up. Holding her body in his shivering arms, his head buried in the crook of her neck, he cried.

For the first time in his life, he let his tears flow freely. He was just a baby when his parents had died in a car crash; Kuina was the first loss he was truly experiencing. Sorrow and anger were building up in his mind like never before, fueled by the frustrating lack of answer to all the questions tormenting him. What exactly happened today? Why did he survive? And why was he the only one? What about…

Thoughts of his master suddenly hit him. Getting a hold of himself, Zoro laid his best friend back on the floor and stepped further into the house. He found the old man in the living room, lying on the floor near the door leading to the corridor where he had found Kuina. This time he didn't even bother himself with verifications. Sliding down the door, eyes going back and forth between both bodies, he gave in to grief once again. For long minutes, he remained there to cry, sitting on the ground, knees pulled to his chest, arms crossed over them with his head down and eyes closed.

Since his solitary childhood among the orphanage kids, he considered himself a natural loner. The frequent lack of company had never bothered him and as much as he cared for the few friends he'd made over the last several years, he'd always thought he'd be perfectly fine even without them around. Only now was he realizing how wrong he'd been. Part of him prayed for it all to be a horrible dream from which he'd soon wake up but deep down, he knew it was foolish. They were gone; nothing would ever bring them back…

"Zoro?"

Jerking his head up at the unexpected voice, he wondered for a brief second if madness hadn't overcome him. His best friend was leaning on her right elbow looking at him, bringing her left hand to her forehead as she groaned in pain. It was impossible… and yet definitely real.

"Kuina!" He shouted, rushing to her side. "You're alive! But how…" She sent him an annoyed look as he helped her getting on her feet.

"Of course I'm alive! Do I look like a fuckin' zombie?" Venomous retorts were too unlike her not to be taken aback by her answer. Even when she lost her temper, she never relied on those. Plus, her demonic frenzy was generally a result of exasperation, never genuine animosity. However, someone cut in before he could reply anything.

"Watch your tongue, young girl!" His master had also come to and was facing them, glaring daggers at his daughter. Haughty authoritative eyes contrasted so much with the kindness which usually radiated from them. "Never forget your place. As a woman, you are to show respect to men." he added with a firm tone.

"Shut up, Father! Being a girl doesn't make me inferior to men, especially not to an old geezer like you!"

The greenhead was shocked. He'd known the two of them for years yet he felt like they were complete strangers. They had always disagreed about male dominance in swordsmanship but this went far beyond their traditional argument. Despite their difference of opinion on this recurrent topic, they loved and respected each other. Insults, sexist remarks, threats… It was nothing like them.

"Silence, brat!" his master said, walking to his daughter and backslapping her rather violently on her right cheek. "Don't you dare talk back to me like this ever again! Get to your room and don't come out until I allow you to. Be glad I'm not in the mood for a real punishment!"

His voice was cold, devoid of all the affection he'd always shown for her. The way he was looking down on her, like she was nothing but shit disgusted Zoro to no end but he was too stunned to move. He couldn't even think straight, his brain too busy trying to understand what was going on.

Anger and pride were shining in Kuina's dark brown eyes like they always did during their arguments. While he expected her not to back down and face her father, he was surprised to see her lower her head and walk a few slow steps towards the corridor. However, she stopped not far behind her father and turned around, facing his back before calling for the older man. It was just a whisper but still loud enough for both men to hear.

His master turned around to face her, waiting patiently for her to say whatever she wanted to, his expression not softening in the least. His stoicism was the complete opposite to his daughter's nervousness. Her head was still bent down; her breathing was getting louder and uneven; her arms were trembling. Her right hand was tightly fisted while her left one was clutching so hard on her katana's sheath that her fingers were turning white.

Her eyes rose to meet her elder's gaze and while not directed at him, they gave Zoro a very bad feeling. Her previous emotions no longer filled them, replaced only by one terrifying desire.

Murder.

"Fuck you!" his best friend yelled, her free hand suddenly reaching for her weapon, aiming straight for the neck. Koshiro was too surprised to react, his expression turning into a mix of fear and bewilderment as the blade got closer to him. Flesh and bones were no match against the sharpness of the blade added to rage-induced strength. A second later, body and head were two separate parts, the first falling backwards on the floor while the other flew over the inner balcony down to the training room.

Zoro had automatically stepped back, his eyes widening at the bloody show in front of him. He was doing his best not to look at his master's headless corpse and remain focused on Kuina who hadn't moved an inch since her attack. She just stood there, looking down at her victim as drops of crimson blood dripped from Wado Ichimonji which she had yet to put back in its sheath.

He couldn't decide what to do. Leaving was impossible without getting closer to her. Until now, he trusted her to the point he'd have let her put her blade right by his throat without any second thought. Now, she just scared him. If she could kill her own father without hesitation then she could easily attack him as well and if she did, he was defenseless. Oh, why the fuck did he leave his own weapons by the door?

Before he did anything though, Kuina raised her head and turned towards him, meeting his fearful gaze. There was no remorse to be seen in her dark brown orbs. No guilt, no shame, no sadness… Nothing but pure amusement and contentment. If anything, she seemed all the more satisfied with what she had just done, like a cold-blooded murderer in all her splendor. "What's wrong Zoro? You scared?" she asked, tilting her head on the side with a wide smirk.

Finally snapping out of it, Zoro took time to think his answer beforehand, something he couldn't recall ever doing before. "You just killed your father out of the blue, of course I'm scared." he replied, making sure not to sound aggressive. The last thing he wanted was to get her angry. Too bad the way she narrowed her eyes at his answer didn't reassure him.

"So what if I killed him? All he ever did was treating me like shit. At least now he won't look down on women anymore!" She quickly glared at the beheaded body at her feet before getting back on Zoro. "You're not saying I should have let him hurt me and thank him for it, are you?" she added with an alarming accusatory tone.

"Of course he had no right to abuse you but he didn't deserve to die just because of it, especially not in such a way." he answered defensively, cursing himself for not thinking this one through. She didn't react at first, letting an oppressive silence settle between the two of them. The way she lowered her head a bit with a sad smile on her face was a very bad omen. What scared him the most was the glint of madness shining in her eyes.

"You're supporting him? I thought you were better than other men..." she said, looking at him in a disappointed way. Her tone was changing from accusatory to what seemed like a weird mix of pain, sorrow and resignation. Altogether it sounded awfully close to insanity.

"I'm not…" he tried to answer but she didn't even let him finish his sentence.

"Aren't you my friend, Zoro? I thought you liked me!" She stepped forward while saying that, which only served to make the greenhead even more nervous as his own back quickly hit the wall.

"Kuina, I…" Once again, she didn't wait for him to answer.

"Don't you like me, Zoro?" Yet another step forward.

Zoro didn't even try to answer, he was on full alert. Kuina was now close enough for her blade to reach him and the way her hands were trembling reminded him horribly of the last moments preceding his master's death.

"DON'T YOU LIKE ME?"

As he feared, the loud cry was accompanied by a slash aimed at his head which he successfully avoided by leaping to his right side. His mind was desperately urging him to flee but part of him couldn't resign itself to leaving her behind, at least not without trying to get some sense back into her. She'd been his best friend for years, she deserved that he at least tried to save her from this madness. But first, he had to disarm her.

Taking a few steps back, he watched her carefully, looking for an opening. In normal times, those were extremely rare. While he had the upper hand when it came to strength and endurance, it was barely enough to resist her impressive skill and speed. Right now however, she wasn't exactly herself. Her first attack had been slower than usual and her overall moves were nonchalant. More importantly, she was barely holding her sword with only one hand, something she never did during a fight. Hell, her guard wasn't even up!

"Why did you lie to me?" Kuina said softly as she was approaching him. She suddenly dashed, bringing her sword up for a descending strike which Zoro dodged to his left. Instead of running away as her hand was getting ready to come back up, he blocked it with his right hand and charged his whole body into her, effectively forcing her to drop her weapon as she stumbled backwards. She was struggling to get her balance back when her feet unexpectedly hit her father corpse, sending her falling towards the stairs.

When Zoro noticed them, it was too late to catch her. "KUINA!" he shouted once more, rushing after her as pained yells came to his ears. She was still rolling down when her voice fell abruptly silent, freezing the greenhead on the spot at the top the stairs as a simple question tortured him. Was she simply knocked out… or worse? The day had been so extremely shitty until now, he was afraid he already knew the answer. When he finally dared look down at her, tears welled up in his eyes again as his fears were confirmed.

Her body was sprawled on the lower floor and though lying down motionless didn't necessarily imply death, the lack of breathing was always bad news. Drops of blood were slowly dripping from the back of her skull. Far worse was the way the unnatural way in which her neck was twisted. Plus her face wasn't wearing the peaceful expression usually worn by unconscious people. Instead it was distorted in a mix of pain and fear that was so alien to her. What shocked Zoro most was her open eyes. Devoid of all feelings. Empty. Dead…

Because of him…

For the second time that day, Zoro let himself drop to the ground, taking time to deal with all the feelings flooding his mind. Sorrow was back and it had brought terrible acolytes: guilt and incomprehension. They weren't just dead out of some unexplained event anymore. He had seen them turn into hateful people getting at each other's throat. He had witnessed his master being beheaded by Kuina right in front of him. And to top it all off, he had killed her. Even if he hadn't meant to, even if she was trying to murder him back then, it didn't change that one simple fact: he had pushed her to her death.

Along with the emotional storm came the craziest of mystery. How could all this happen? He wasn't crazy; they were _dead_ the first time he checked them. Resurrection was impossible so how the hell did they just come back to life? He won't deny it had made him happy at first, until their newfound hostility showed up. Now, he wished they'd never returned at all.

As a sudden realization hit him, he started noticing the sounds coming from the outside. What about all those people on the streets? Were they back too? Were they also… different?

Standing up, Zoro went to look out the nearby window but what he saw made just as much sense as all that had happened until now. All those in his sight were up and alive, the only exception being a severely wounded driver that had apparently bled to the death after being ejected from his car. However, their behavior was extremely confusing.

Two women and a man were fist-fighting pretty violently. A beefy guy was screwing a smaller one against a wall, the latter looking like it might not be consensual. Another man was running around the place, shouting crazy stuff about ducks spying everyone from the shadows. Yet another man was … wait, what the fuck? The driver had just gotten up and was walking towards the fighting trio in a weird and very slow way. Something was wrong though. Unlike all the others, his eyes still looked… dead.

Getting close to the group that wasn't paying any attention to him, he grabbed the woman closer to him from behind and bit her harshly, earning a painful scream from his victim and cries of terror from the others. The way he tore the flesh of her neck from the rest of her body, letting a river of crimson blood flow freely while he ate his mouthful before going for a second was sickening. People around them just watched as more bites succeeded to others, petrified by the horror of the scene.

When the girl finally died from her wounds, her killer let her body drop on floor then crouched above her to continue his meal. Only then did someone react, kicking him away from his poor victim before he could do any more damage to her body. When the driver stood up, the man prepared himself for a fight but did not expect an attack to come from behind. The partially eaten girl had grabbed his leg and was biting in it. She now had a look very similar to her own killer.

People around them started running away, leaving the man at the mercy of the two flesh-eaters. Though he did his best to resist despite his leg injury, they eventually got the better of him and devoured much of him before going after other targets. Seconds later, he stood up with those empty eyes and followed behind them, moving in the same slow way.

Zoro was shocked. The more he saw, the less sense the situation made. He felt like he was in one of those stupid movies the Denton twins liked so much, except it was neither a film nor a dream. The sounds of someone coming up the stairs took him out of his thoughts. He turned around only to face yet another nightmare.

Kuina was coming up the stairs, looking at him with that same evil face he'd seen on the cannibals in the street, though it seemed her very twisted neck made it hard for her to move correctly. She wasn't talking anymore; instead she just groaned randomly. Seeing his best friend come back to 'life' like that disgusted him even more than the insanity of her first return. Luckily, her slow pace gave him some time to brace himself and prepare himself for running away from her.

While she was coming up, he noticed she was surprisingly alone. Master Koshiro hadn't moved an inch, nor had he turned into some weird flesh-eater. And it wasn't hard to see what was his particularity compared to his daughter. It could be a mistake but that was worth a try.

As Kuina reached the top of the stairs, Zoro made a run for Wado Ichimonji, still lying on the floor only three steps in front of her. Easily evading her slow arms as he came dangerously close to her, he quickly grabbed the sword and turned around to face her before her next attack. When she tried to catch him again, he dodged to the side and, using all of his willpower, forced himself to slice her neck. As he hoped, her body fell limply to the ground while the groans stopped. His instinct had been right. He had killed her. Again…

Looking at her unmoving corpse, the greenhead reflected on the whole situation, or at least what he could try to guess of it. '_Dead'_ people were coming back to life, all pretty much insane though each in their own way. As for those who really died, they were turning into some sort of flesh-eating zombies unless you removed their heads.

"Great… Now what?" he thought. There could be others like him somewhere in town but was it worth looking for them? Between crazies and undead, moving around the streets would soon be a real nightmare. Plus he had no idea where to search. Hell, he didn't even know if there was someone to find to begin with.

Another option was staying here and barricade himself until things calmed down but then again was it really safe? The dojo wasn't designed to be a fortress. The traditional walls could easily be torn down and reinforcing them all by himself would be long, if he even had the materials for that. He could also isolate himself on the upper floor and destroy the stairs but he'd still have to go out for supplies eventually. Could he last until things calmed down? If they ever calmed down that is…

He could also leave town and try to reach a safer place, although he had no idea what he'd find. Was Tarbes an isolated case or were the same strange events happening all over the country, if not more? He'd have to make good use of what the wilds had to offer and use his own supplies only when necessary. As for danger, as long as he avoided crowded zones, he could defend himself against a few zombies or crazies. Yes, as long as he was prudent, traveling through the wilderness seemed like the best option.

There was no going back to his flat however, meaning he had to make preparations with what he could find in the dojo. Thus, he spent the next hour searching through every single room for potentially useful items. Each time, he'd bring what he found in the living room on the second floor, making sure to constantly remain silent and discreet so no one, whether alive or undead, would notice him from the outside. Once the whole place had been thoroughly cleared, he sorted everything he'd gathered one last time before placing what he decided to keep in a large dark green traveling rucksack taken from the house.

Water. Fresh food in an isotherm bag for the first few days, cans for later. Matches. A flashlight with a few spare batteries. Painkillers and a first-aid kit. A thin blanket for the nights as well as a small towel in case he had the opportunity to wash himself. The spare clothes he'd brought from home plus a few pieces from his master's wardrobe. A pair of sharpening stones. His wallet and cell phone, in case nothing was going on in other towns. He also took his and Kuina's swords, fastening them at his waist so he could easily grab them even while traveling.

With everything packed, there was only one last thing to do before he could allow himself to leave. After making sure no one was there, he opened the door to the backyard and gathered some chimney wood on the traditional wooden fighting ring located there. Then, protecting himself with a thick blanket, he picked up the bodies and heads of his master and best friend and gathered them on the ring. Lacking properly flammable material, he spread rum over it then threw a lit match. It wasn't the best but a makeshift pyre was better than letting them rot.

As the fire was growing, slowly consuming the remains of those he cared for, Zoro picked up all his stuff and left, heading for the hills behind the dojo. He didn't know the surroundings so much but he knew there was a road to the east, linking the cities of Stillwater and Buffalo Falls. Though there was no clear path, as long as he didn't stray much from this direction, he should eventually come across it. Then all he'd have to do was follow it to either town. Hopefully, things would be better in there.

If not, then it was just the beginning of a very long trip…

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**Author's notes:****  
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**Keep in mind that the events are supposed to take place in a France-like country, meaning firearms aren't for sale and are prohibited for most people. This is also why I mention Zoro as a "first-year student" instead of a "freshman".  
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**The name of the fic is a reference to the game "Advance Wars: Days of Ruin" (not the best in the series, i know...). The title for this chapter is also a reference to a music from the same game.  
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**Tarbes is a reference to a French city where are trained some of the most promising saber-fencers of the country. Stillwater and Buffalo Falls are respectively references to the games 'Saints Row' and 'Gangsters 2'.**

**Thank you for reading, even more for reviewing. Don't hesitate to point any mistake, inconsistency or anything. Useful criticism is always welcome, especially for a beginner like me.  
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	2. A Future Named Hope

**Here goes chapter 2. Very little action here but don't worry, the next one should make up for it.  
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**Author's notes can be found at the bottom.  
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Although hiking wasn't part of Zoro's hobbies, traveling through the hills and forests surrounding Tarbes with all his stuff hadn't been too difficult, mostly thanks to his years-long physical training. Nearly a day had passed and he had yet to come across anyone, not to say any living being, which wasn't completely reassuring.

Don't misunderstand him; he was happy not to encounter any of those… _things _he'd seen in town. However, his journey had taken him through a wide forested area not far from town, once popular among both hunters and hikers for its opulent wildlife. He had wandered in there for more than two hours and had later spent the night on a high branch of a tree on the other edge. While he found numerous corpses, not once had he encountered or even heard a random animal still alive, or even an undead one. The place was dreadfully still and silent, giving off an eerie aura that even the intrepid swordsman couldn't ignore. Only good point in this unnatural quietness was that nothing disturbed his refreshing sleep.

He'd woken up in perfect shape, more than ready to resume his trip to the nearby cities. Luckily for the lone traveler, the clear cerulean sky was a promise of a rainless day's walk. The whole year had been blessed with surprisingly nice weather and even in the beginning of November, it still felt hot like a late summer day. The wilds had also been kind to him on the previous day with a tree still bearing a few wild apples while some walnuts were occasionally scattered over the ground. However he didn't dare take some meat from the dead animals he had found, afraid that eating it might pass whatever had killed them on to him. After walking for a few more hours, he was now sitting on top of the last hill, enjoying a lunch break under a lone tree shielding him from the blazing midday sun. Everything seemed fine yet one '_small_ _detail'_ was definitely bothering him.

Where the fuck was he?

His plan was to reach an inland roadway, nothing more. Instead, there was a railway right down the hill, a highway much farther on the horizon and the sea not far beyond it. His initial destination was to the east whereas the closest coast from Tarbes was to the north. So how the hell had he ended up here? He had made sure to keep heading in the same direction all the time, even with all those trees trying to ruin his efforts. He couldn't have gotten lost in the forest… right?

"Should have taken the damn map and compass from the house…" he told himself shaking his head, annoyed by this unexpected turn of events.

On second thought, aside from the frustration, this detour didn't matter so much actually. Even if it wasn't the road he originally intended to reach, following the tracks would still get him to a town. As for what he'd find there, all he knew for sure was that the many crashed cars on the highway were definitely a bad omen. Even more so was the apparent lack of corpses, although it was hard to be completely sure from such a distance. He'd have t be extra careful in case crazy things resembling those from Tarbes were lurking in the area. At least he couldn't see any of these in the immediate vicinity.

The greenhead was in the middle of his meal when some movement on the left at the bottom of the hill suddenly caught his attention. A lone man was walking along the railway, his speed clearly indicating he wasn't one of those undead. He didn't seem crazy either but then again, neither did Kuina at first. However, he didn't have time to wonder what to do as the stranger spotted him, interrupting his walk. Both remained still for long seconds, eyeing each other from head to toe.

A mess of neck-long black hair was covered by an orange hat decorated with two blue smileys pinned to the front and a string of red beads surrounding it just above the rim. The wide deep black eyes currently observing him were effectively masking all emotions except for a high alertness. Right below them, his light-skinned face was spotted by small patches of freckles. Around his neck was another string of red beads while a bull skull medallion attached to the hat's side straps was hanging in front of his surprisingly bare chest which looked muscular enough to rival with the swordsman's years of physical training. An orange elbow protector and a red and white striped bracelet were set on his left arm. Black knee-length shorts with a small pouch on the left side were fastened by a pair of orange belts with a silver buckle showing a capital red A. Finally, his attire was completed by a pair of short black boots. Aside from his clothes, all he had was a small backpack with only one strap around his right shoulder.

A wide smile spread over the newcomer's face as he started climbing the hill towards Zoro. Not the kind people wear when they are up to no good. It was the rejoicing look of someone happy to see a friend, or in the present case just another human being. Yet, even if he appeared to be both friendly and unarmed, the greenhead wasn't about to let his guard down after the recent events. His right hand rested on the handle of one of his swords, ready to slice at the first sign of aggression.

"Hello. I'm sorry if I sound like a beggar but do you have any food left to spare or even sell?" The man asked, a hint of hopefulness piercing through his polite tone. "I haven't eaten since yesterday morning and I still have many miles left to go." As if to emphasize his words, his stomach gave the loudest growl Zoro ever heard. His dark orbs were no longer impassive, instead looking at the food with huge yet restrained desire, and more importantly not the slightest hint of malice.

Allowing himself to relax a bit, the greenhead took out the isotherm bag containing what remained of his fresh supplies, earning eager thanks from the raven when he handed it to him. Relief and gratitude were all over the other's face as he sat down cross-legged on the grass, helping himself to what was offered to him. Keeping his eyes on his 'guest' while finishing his own lunch, he could now make out a tattoo on his left arm, spelling the word "ASCE" with the "S" crossed out. Silence between the two lasted for a few minutes until curiosity got the better of the swordsman.

"Mind telling me what you're doing in the middle of nowhere without any food or water?" he asked, the man's head jerking up to look at him.

"No problem but I warn you, I hardly believe what happened myself so you'll probably just think I'm mental." You could hear the slight hesitation in his voice but he showed no sign of uneasiness, no nervous movement hinting that he was lying.

"Try me." Zoro replied, already suspecting how the story would end.

"Well… I left Fireburg by train yesterday morning to visit my brother in Stillwater during the four-day week-end. Somehow, I suddenly lost consciousness during the trip. When I woke up, the train had stopped, and I mean 'stopped' in a normal way. It had not derailed and there was no trace of accident whatsoever, yet everyone else was lying dead on the floor, emergency switches weren't working anymore and there was no phone signal to call for help. I waited for some time, expecting a rescue team to arrive but it never did. Then well… this is where it gets really weird." He was interrupted before he could go on.

"Zombies…" Judging from the dumbfounded face watching him, Zoro was obviously right. He gave a deep sigh before adding "So Tarbes wasn't an isolated case then."

"You mean you saw them too?" The raven asked, getting a nod from the greenhead before continuing. "It wasn't just that though. First, living people came to and started insulting, attacking, strangling and even raping and murdering each other. Then rose the zombies. One of them nearly got me from behind. The bastard managed to grab my favorite shirt. I had to abandon it before busting through a damaged window for my life. I first went to the nearby highway for help but found nothing but zombies there too. So instead, I hightailed back to the railway and decided to follow it all the way to Stillwater. I was hoping to get help there but you're saying things are the same in town?"

"I don't know about Stillwater but the same thing happened in Tarbes. I thought leaving to check on other towns was the safest thing to do so I headed for Stillwater or Buffalo Falls and ended up here." The stranger sent him a surprised look, his left eyebrow raised in an almost cartoonish way.

"Isn't Buffalo Falls to the east of…"

"Shut up, I got lost, ok?" Zoro cut in with a harsher voice than necessary. He didn't mean any enmity but this reminded him too much of his best friend's teases about his inexistent sense of direction and he didn't want to think about her for now. "Anyway, I guess now it's safe to assume that zombies will be in other places too. Fuck…" He added with another sigh, feeling more down than he ever did in his life. Dozens of considerations were flooding his mind, all seeking to answer a simple yet terrible question: 'What now'? However, his reflections were eventually stopped when the other spoke up again.

"I'd better hurry then. My brother could be in trouble." It was the swordsman's turn to be left incredulous by the serious tone in the man's voice. A blazing fire radiated from his dark eyes, leaving no trace of his earlier hesitation.

"You realize he's probably either insane or undead by now?" He said bluntly, expecting this most basic fact to bring the other to reason but only falling on deaf ears. The raven was already getting up, his determination clearly unwavering in the pair of deep inky pools watching him.

"Even so, I'm still going. He's about my only family left so I'm not giving up on him."

"And just what will you do once you're there? He could be hiding anywhere in a large zombie-infested city, you'll be eaten alive long before you find him." How could that idiot so willingly throw his life away over such ridiculous hope? He couldn't understand it but once again, all efforts to get some sense into the stranger proved futile.

"Except my brother isn't your usual person. He has a _very_ straightforward way to think and doesn't bother himself with details. I was on the phone with him not long before I fell unconscious and he was already at the train station, ready to greet me. If there's any way for him to hide or barricade himself in there to wait for me then he will. If not, he'll simply head back to his flat and lock himself in."

Confidence was glinting in his fiery eyes, so much that Zoro barely resisted the urge to roll his own. "You mean he'd actually try to stay in such a crowded place? I guess crazy runs in the family."

The raven smirked widely at him, chuckling a bit as he replied. "True. But he's crazy, not helpless. He can take care of himself until I find him."

"If he's still alive to begin with…" Of all reactions, the greenhead had expected the other to calm down and realize the stupidity of his decision. Instead, all he got was a dark and clearly infuriated look.

"So these swords are just for show then…" He replied, giving a deep sigh before continuing. "Listen, maybe leaving behind all those you cared for is fine with you but that's definitely not my style. My brother and I have always been there for each other, no matter what deep troubles we were in. I don't care what the odds are or how many monsters come after me, as long as there's hope, I'll keep searching. You seemed like that kind of guy who always keeps fighting too but I guess I was wrong."

Zoro was left utterly speechless by those words as he watched the man grab his small backpack and turn in direction of the tracks.

"Thank you for the food, I really needed it." He added, looking at the swordsman over his shoulder, a mix of anger and disappointment perceptible in both his voice and eyes. "And by the way, if you really believe the situation to be so hopeless, why don't you consider seppuku? At least you wouldn't have to face those zombies you're apparently so afraid of."

Finally, he started walking away, leaving behind a shocked greenhead too busy reflecting on those last words to register his surroundings.

Zoro's mind was a mess of thoughts, images and memories. The desolated streets of Tarbes, the numerous corpses on the floor, the insane resurrection of those he cared for most, the beheading of his zombified friend… He had lost everything back then, only the prospect of escaping those horrors had kept him going but now even that faint glimmer of hope was gone. That guy was right, was there really any reason to live if it meant wandering a desolated land filled with zombies?

One quick slash would easily end this nightmare.

Unsheathing Wado Ichimonji, he looked intently at the blade for long seconds as the idea slowly crept into his brain. Was suicide really so bad when there is no future anymore? It would be so simple to let everything just go…

"How can you be so weak?"

The familiar voice resonated in his head, interrupting his gloomy inner debate. He could clearly picture Kuina pointing her shinai at his face, looking down at him after his first utter defeat against her. The arrogance she had shown back then had only fueled his desire to become the best and defeat her. Over time, even as their relationship evolved and the nasty taunts had turned into friendly teases, his resolve had never wavered. No matter how many time she defeated him or how futile his inhuman training seemed, not even once had the greenhead considered giving up.

"It's a promise!"

That's right; the vow they had made one night after their first duel using real swords had kept both of them going after their respective objective for all those years, defeating Kuina for him, proving that a woman could become the best swordsman in the world for her. Most people would have deemed that as mere childish rivalry but to them, this everlasting competition was the most important goal of their life. 'Never giving up!' had become their motto.

If the whole world was experiencing the same events then he'd surely never know if he ever became the number one swordsman, perhaps he even already was if all others were gone. But was it really a reason to bid his farewell to the world of the livings? He could still fight, the only thing he ever seriously did in his life. That wasn't much but it was enough to protect others, and while he wasn't expecting to find many of them, there was at least one other survivor he could help.

Plus even if he was no believer in the afterlife, it wasn't hard to imagine Kuina tormenting his soul for all eternity if he dared kill himself. It would be like breaking their oath; she'd never forgive him and _that _was something Zoro never wanted to experience, not even in death.

How he ever let himself get so down was a mystery, but it ended now. No more fatalism, no more depressing, no more fleeing. Perhaps he'd end up as live food but he'd make sure those undead pay a high price before they got to him.

He wouldn't give up; he'd keep fighting until death claimed him!

"Thanks, Kuina." He whispered. Even in death, she was still the best to keep him in high spirits.

Finally snapping out of his shock, the greenhead looked around and spotted the raven walking along the tracks. Seeing his back for the first time revealed a tattoo that he hadn't seen yet, though its design was hard to make out from this far. He was already quite a distance but he could easily catch up with him if he ran. Quickly packing all his stuff, he stood up and started hurrying down the hill.

The man was forcing himself not to think as he steadily made his way in the direction of Stillwater. Though he was doing his best not to show it, he was worried sick about his brother. Since his escape from the train, he was afraid that the younger man might be dead or facing the same danger and that depressing green-haired man had severely increased his fears. Tarbes was miles away from the tracks and it didn't even have a station. If zombies had appeared at the same time in such a completely unrelated place, then the towns linked to the railway network were most likely experiencing the same situation which would explain the lack of rescue team coming from there. But even against such odds, as long as there was the slightest hope of him surviving this nightmare, he would cling to it. He couldn't imagine losing him, especially not in such a way.

He had to be alive!

"Oy, wait up!" The voice, while familiar, was definitely unexpected. Turning around, he saw the greenhead running towards him, his dark eyes revealing an iron will completely opposite to the spiritless wreck he had left on top of the hill. Hopefully, he hadn't merely decided to come asking for some kind of payment for the food.

"I'm sure you could use some help in your search, especially if you come upon some of those undead bastards. Not to mention you still don't have any food on you." He said with a tone which left no doubt regarding his seriousness. The intrigued raven raised his left eyebrow and couldn't hold back a smirk as he replied.

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Let's just say some friend gave me a much-needed wake-up slap. Don't get me wrong, I still think our chances of finding your brother living and well are extremely slim but in any case, it will be easier for two people to travel together and more importantly survive through the dangers. Plus it's not like I have anything better to do. Might as well die trying to accomplish something than just stand there doing nothing."

The man's smirk turned into a wide smile upon hearing those words and the offer implied into them. His eyes were shining with a mix of gratitude and enthusiasm. "Well, it seems I misjudged you. Thank you for coming along. Although you're still not helping with optimism but I suppose I can't blame you for that."

"Just pray whatever you believe in that your brother doesn't have to suffer the same fate as my best friend or your optimism won't last long." The slight hint of sadness in the swordsman's voice did not go unnoticed and the sorrow invading his eyes made the man wonder what story was hidden behind those words, though part of it seemed easy to guess. Obviously he had not just left everyone behind like he had imagined, but now was definitely not the time to let his curiosity rub salt in such recent wounds.

"Trust me, I already am." He said with sudden gravity in his voice, preferring to drop the topic which could easily hurt and demoralize both of them. "By the way, name's Ace." He added, holding out his hand, his cheerfulness returning as quickly as it had disappeared.

"Zoro." For the first time in a long while, the greenhead allowed himself to smile too as they shook hands. "With or without S?" He quickly asked with his head tilted slightly to the side and a raised eyebrow, pointing his finger at the tattoo on the other's arm. The question earned him a hearty laugh from the raven.

"Without. The S is just a memento of sorts." He answered with an amused yet firm tone indicating that he wouldn't tell more about it for now, the sadness glinting in the back of his eyes hinting that this wasn't only a tribute to happy memories. Both remained silent for a few seconds before turning towards their destination.

"To Stillwater then!" Ace exclaimed with excitement, getting a nod from his new companion as they resumed their way along the tracks to the city. Fear and concern about his brother were still there, but at least his own situation seemed a little brighter. He had someone to help him and support him if things were to go bad. As for Zoro, he was feeling strangely at peace. Going to a place probably filled with danger only to follow a ridiculous hope no longer bothered him. He was ready to face any obstacle in front of him like he always did in the past. He had once dedicated his life to a single challenge. Now life itself would be his challenge, one from which he wouldn't back down.

The two of them traveled side by side, barely exchanging any word. Both knew there was no need to get any more acquainted for now as Stillwater could easily become their final resting place. If somehow they managed to come back alive from in there, only then would it be worth knowing more about each other.

Eventually the city came into view, leaving no more room for doubts. The Ultor Tower once standing proudly in the luxurious central business district was in ruins. Its top half was nowhere to be seen from outside the town but judging from the state of the remaining lower part, it had probably collapsed somewhere on the ground. Many other buildings had obviously suffered the same fate of fire and destruction. They were still too far to have a good look at the streets but both could already picture what those would be like: rubble, crashed cars and zombies. It did not bode well for Ace's brother but they already expected as much. In less than two hours, they would reach the city. Now was not the time for hesitation or regrets anymore.

It was time to struggle for dear life.

* * *

**Author's notes:****  
**

**Well, here comes Ace. Sorry if you were expecting a more dynamic entry but once again don't worry, he'll have plenty of occasions to get all fiery, starting with the next chapter.  
**

**The tattoo on his back is not described yet because I'm not sure yet if I'll keep the original one or if I'll customize it a bit...**

**The title for this chapter is a reference to a nice track from the game "Anno 2070" **** (kind of a depressing music though...)**.  


**The Ultor Tower is a building from "Saints Row 2".  
**

**Thank you for reading, even more for reviewing. Don't hesitate to point any mistake, inconsistency or anything. Useful criticism is always welcome, especially for a beginner like me.**


	3. Isle of the Damned

**Here's the third chapter, first part of the journey through Stillwater. Some talking here and there but also a lot more action than in the previous one.**

**Author's notes can be found at the bottom.**

* * *

"So, which way?" Zoro asked to his companion. They were nearing their destination and the first question was how to enter it.

Stillwater wasn't your usual mainland city. Refugees had established a first settlement centuries ago on a tiny archipelago about one and a half miles away from the coast. Since then, the humble village had developed into one of the most important trade harbor in the world, rumored to be fully controlled by a powerful gang. Most of it was divided into two major islands. The suburbs and the main city were respectively built on the western and eastern half of the northern island while the old town was in the middle of the southern one, surrounded by the university campus to the west, the docks to the southeast and the historical, recently renewed business district of 'Saints Row' to the east. There was also an airport on a smaller isle to the southwest. Finally, two tiny islets were located west of the bigger pair and respectively housed a jail and a nuclear power plant.

Aside from ships and planes, the only way into Stillwater was via the southwestern isle, accessible from the mainland either via a long suspension bridge or an underground railway, the train station being located below the airport. Another short bridge then linked it to the old town and four more connected the two main islands. A highway and a mostly external subway had also been built to improve traffic between all parts of the town. Of course, the tinier islets were completely isolated from the rest of the city for obvious security reasons.

Back to the duo, they were now standing in front of a tunnel entrance not far from the coast. Hundreds of meters away to their left was the suspension bridge.

Ace considered the options offered to them before answering the question. "My brother was already in the station when we were on the phone so that makes it the first place to investigate. The railway will take us there directly without attracting much attention. Hopefully there was no cave in or we'll have to make our way through all the crashed cars and zombies on the bridge."

"I'd be surprised if you don't encounter some in there." Zoro said, though judging from his voice, he sounded more eager for a fight than actually worried.

"Unless a train stopped right in the middle of the tunnel, there should only be a few of them that came from the station. We'll have to be extra careful in case some of them are lurking in the dark but they don't really seem like the smart sneaky type."

The greenhead took a few seconds to reflect on what their plan implied and mentally went through all his stuff. "Well, I have a flashlight and my swords to help. What about you?"

"I've got fire." Zoro gave a puzzled look with a raised eyebrow as the other opened his bag, taking a small roll of weird material and a bottle with a flame tag on it out of it. Kevlar and Coleman fuel.

"What the hell? What are you, some kind of arsonist?" The comment earned him a hearty laugh from the raven who was now walking towards a group of nearby trees where he broke a half-meter-long sturdy branch before coming back.

"Nah, just a fire dancer and breather. I've been practicing for years and I was currently attending classes to become a professional." Whilst explaining, he tore a strip of the fabric which he winded on the bough, then poured some fuel on it. "There, all set." He added, holding the makeshift torch in his hand with a satisfied face.

"Good for lighting but not really helpful with chopping their heads off." The swordsman commented with a skeptical tone.

"True but we don't know if that's the only way to kill those things. Might as well test a few more methods before we get into more crowded places. I wanna see how well they burn. We'll have to be careful not to get caught up in the flames but their slowness should help holding them at bay. I could also breathe fire to set them ablaze from afar but I only have a small bottle of mineral oil so I'd rather save that for groups."

"Sure you don't want a sword, just in case?" Doubt was still present in the greenhead's voice. For now, his katana were the only weapons he was willing to trust.

"Thanks but without any experience I'd just end up swinging the blade around randomly. I'm used to street brawls, smashing heads and breaking bones with only bare fists and kicks."

"Fine by me, just make sure they don't grab and bite you." The confidence radiating from his fiery companion wasn't enough to convince him yet but he saw no point in insisting as obviously nothing was going to change his mind.

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself." The two of them remained silent for a short time, obsersving the tunnel entrance ahead of them, painfully aware that they could easily never make it out of there alive. "Ready to enter the city of the dead?" Ace added, getting a nod from Zoro. Despite all the dangers they knew they would encounter, both were grinning wildly, their eyes shining with unwavering determination. Death was certainly going to do her best to claim both their souls and bodies and they would challenge her without any regret.

There was no turning back now.

As they started walking, the raven took an orange lighter out of his shorts' pockets and lit his torch, freezing on the spot to his partner's surprise. "Something wrong?" The other asked, noticing the pyro's troubled face.

"Not sure." He replied, not bothering to hide the hesitation in his voice. "The flame looks bigger than it should be, even with the fuel. It also feels a bit… hotter than usual." He stood there for several more seconds, eyeing the blazing branch suspiciously and making a few movements to test its reaction before eventually shrugging. "Well, at least it reacts normally when manipulating it. Definitely weird but it shouldn't be a problem. Anyway, let's go."

Finally, the duo ventured into the dark passage to begin their crazy rescue mission.

The place was shaped in a rectangle about ten meters wide and five meters high, with pipes occasionally running along the concrete walls. After going deep into the ground, it was now heading straight towards the archipelago. It was designed so the trains would travel below the ocean floor, then go up again once they had reached the southwestern island where the station was located.

The duo was progressing carefully, eyes and ears on full alert for any sign or sound of danger. Combining the torch and flashlight to scout ahead of them while still illuminating a reasonable area around them efficiently prevented any hostile being from sneaking up on them and made it possible for them to keep a steady pace. Each minute spent in this shithole was a nerve-racking eternity. With each step they expected the undead to attack them, a monster to leap from the shadows, an alarming noise to suddenly echo across the narrow passage. Until groans actually pierced the ominous silence.

Several meters away from them, where the tracks were beginning to rise, was the zombie of a middle-aged man coming down towards them. Two more, a younger well-built man and a slender woman, appeared close behind it. Much of their casual clothes had been torn off, revealing numerous injuries. Scratches, bite marks and missing pieces of flesh here and there left no doubt regarding the fate they had suffered. Dry blood was all over them, mostly their own, but big patches around their mouths hinted that they had also been feasting on others.

Preparing for the inevitable, Zoro unsheathed Wado Ichimonji while Ace cracked his free knuckle. They stood their ground, letting their enemies approach them as they exchanged brief words to plan the fight. The low reaction speed of those living corpses was their downfall and the two survivors were going to make good use of it.

When the first hostile drew close enough, the raven moved in to distract it, allowing the greenhead to easily behead it from behind. They then swiftly prepared to fight the remaining two which were each going for one of them, rendering the previous tactic unusable and forcing them to fight their own target separately. Both backed up against opposite walls to avoid getting in each other's way and waited for their respective opponents to try to grab them.

The pyro dodged to the side and kicked the undead woman's knee with all the strength he could muster, breaking the frail leg. He then quickly swung his fist into the back of its skull, making it fall to the ground. He finished by setting fire to what remained of the torn blood-stained clothes, stepping back when the whole body surprisingly started burning fiercely, groans of pain echoing across the dark passage. Meanwhile, the swordsman positioned himself to ensure nothing was standing behind his foe and then waited for it to attack and raise his arms. When it did, he ducked and dashed forward, using his sword to slice the flesh-eater's waist and successfully cutting it in half.

With all three taken care of, Zoro walked up to his companion whose expression had switched from an obvious shock to a thoughtful frown. "Why such a face?" He asked, standing next to him. "That looks like a nice barbecue to me."

"It's just not right." Ace answered with a pensive voice. His eyes remained focused on the zombified woman for long seconds, waiting for her to die. "My intention was to set her clothes on fire and let it consume her. The human body isn't supposed to burn by itself but somehow, hers does." He added when she finally fell silent.

"Isn't that a good thing? If they burn so well, then it makes killing them a lot easier."

"It's not that simple." The raven said with a sigh. "First they don't die on the spot so unless we cripple them like I did to her, I'm pretty sure we'd have human torches coming after us until the fire kills them. And more importantly, imagine that whatever causes their body to burn like that also affects us…"

The greenhead shivered at the thought. "You really think that could happen?"

"No idea, but if you wanna try then be my guest." The older boy replied with a smirk.

"What the… tell me you're kidding!" He couldn't help but laugh at his partner's alarmed tone but was interrupted by the next irritated remark. "I wasn't talking to you, idiot!"

Looking at him, he noticed that the upper half of an undead man had griped the other's leg with its right arm and was attempting to bite through his rangers in an almost comical way. After easily kicking it away with his free leg, the swordsman impaled the zombie's head with his katana and waited a few seconds for any sign of movement before putting the weapon back in its sheath.

"Well, I guess cutting them in half isn't enough to kill them." He said with an angry voice. "Good thing they don't use their brains anymore."

The pyro chuckled but didn't add anything. Both turned away and resumed their course, leaving behind the three bodies finally resting in peace.

Several minutes later, the duo reached a first intersection with tracks going left, right and forward.

"We're getting close." Ace said. "The railway splits not long before entering the station to access the three different platforms. We should head left to the first one, that's where the train from Fireburg always stops. My brother and I usually meet by the stairs at the far end. If he left something for me, that's where we're most likely to find it." His voice was filled with hope but also a hint of fear at the prospect of what he could find. They could easily stumble on his zombified brother as well.

'_As if anyone would waste time to leave a message behind with all those things trying to eat them…_'Zoro thought but preferred to keep to himself. "What does he look like? Just so I know who to look for…" He asked instead. Realizing he had a point, the raven took a wallet out of his shorts' back pocket and took a small picture out of it which he handed to him. On it were Ace and a shorter, younger looking boy wearing a straw-hat with a red ribbon circling it above the rim. Both were smiling widely with theirs arms over each other's shoulder. While they resembled a lot to each other and especially shared the same messy deep black hair, they had a few noticeable differences. The younger sibling was missing the freckles and had much bigger puppy eyes with a tiny scar below the left one. His body was also far less muscular.

"His name's Luffy." He gave the greenhead some time to memorize the face before putting everything back in his pocket. "Anyway, looks like we're here." He added, reducing his voice to a whisper.

Ahead of them, visible thanks to their flashlight, was the tunnel exit leading directly into the underground station. It was a large room with three platforms bordered by tracks on both sides and with stairs at the end which were the only access to the rest of the building. Only a few benches, dustbins and information panels could be found there, save for the trains regularly coming in and out, two of which were currently stationed on the other side. The numerous bulbs on the ceiling were the only source of light and with none of those functioning, the whole place was plunged in darkness, preventing them from seeing anything clearly from the tunnel they were still in. However, they could still hear everything and needless to say that all those groans were definitely not a good sign.

Zombies were in there. A lot of them.

With an obvious risk of being overrun by their numbers, the duo agreed to go for a stealthy approach and avoid fighting, at least until they no longer had a choice. Advancing cautiously not to make any noise that would give away their presence, they slowly made their way to the end of the tunnel. A quick discreet peek with the flashlight revealed that most of the undead were near the trains; only a few were on the platform bordered by the tracks they were following. Hoping it would be enough to elude them, they crouched down and started walking slowly against the platform. Zoro was in front looking for anything ahead of them while Ace was behind making sure none of those creatures came too close to the border and spotted them. They had taken the risk of not putting out the torch, assuming that these things no longer had enough intelligence left to realize the implications of that light magically moving by itself. Apparently, they had been right.

It took a few minutes to reach the other side of the room but they managed to remain undetected. Once there, the greenhead gave another brief peek to inspect their surroundings and make sure no zombie was dangerously close to them but something on the ground right in front of him caught his attention. '_No fuckin' way_' He thought.

"What's wrong?" the raven asked, noticing the other's disbelief. Instead of answering, the swordsman grabbed what he had just seen to show it, stopping midway when he noticed that something else was hidden under the item. When he presenting them both to him, the pyro's eyes seemed like they were struggling to get out of their socket.

A familiar smartphone and _the_ straw-hat.

"Luffy's hat. But that can't be, he'd rather die than give up on it…" He whispered, trying to process to flow of thoughts and emotions that he was experiencing. There was only one possible conclusion in his mind and he couldn't accept it.

"Oy, snap out of it!" Zoro said, lightly slapping him behind the head. "Look, there's no blood on it. Plus the phone was carefully set right under it. As crazy as it seems, I believe it was left here on purpose." He added, successfully calming him down even though he had a hard time himself believing that they did find something.

Getting a hold of himself, Ace took the phone and turned it on to check for any clue or message. He suddenly stopped browsing the different menus and took his own phone out of his pocket, unplugging the headset to use it on his brother's and handing one of the earpieces to the greenhead. Once they were both set, he started playing what appeared to be a video of a nervous Luffy running through the airport's corridors.

"Ace, if you listen to this then things haven't calmed down. People here are killing each other and the dead are coming back to life to eat us. There are some people who think we should barricade ourselves in the control tower and wait for help. If we can't stay there, I'll do my best to head back home and wait for you there. Don't forget my hat!"

It was only seconds long and didn't show anything besides the teen's head but from his alert eyes darting in all directions and the numerous groans you could hear in the background, it wasn't hard to guess how critical the situation was at the time. Only during the last sentence did he briefly glance at the screen, as if his hat was the most important part of the message…

"So not only did he go all the way through the zombie infested building to leave that behind but he had absolutely no doubt that you'd make it here alive and find it." The swordsman whispered, giving the earpiece back to the older boy. "He's even crazier than you." He was facepalming and shaking his head in incredulity but the glint in his eyes and the tiny smirk on the corner of his mouth betrayed his amusement. Deep down the siblings reminded him of his and Kuina's behavior when it came to their promise. Surviving against the world's new dangers was definitely going to be as much of a challenge. At least morale wouldn't go down around these two.

"More than us actually going to rescue him?" No voiced answer was needed considering how desperate and dangerous their next move would be. Instead, both just grinned widely to each other, holding back the laughter they would have shared in a safer situation. "No more sneaking possible up there. We'll have to run and fight our way through if necessary."

"You know the place so lead the way**.**" The mirth filling their eyes just a second ago was already gone, replaced by the most serious determination, the one from soldiers bidding farewell to a family they might never see again. Stress was building up but like a samurai preparing for a duel or a pyrotechnician before his show, they would simply shrug it off and put their whole spirit in the matter at hand without the slightest hesitation. Ace put both phones in one of his pocket and carefully slid Luffy's hat under his own. They then checked that no monster had drawn closer to their position and agreed on a countdown to three before venturing farther in the land of the (un)dead.

The Grim Reaper was waiting around the corner, no need to make him wait.

On zero, they jumped on the platform and took off up the nearby stairs, the lack of flesh-eater standing on the steps making them quick and easy to climb up and finally emerge into the main lobby of the underground station. On the other end was the access to the subway network while stairways on the side walls led up the main entrance of the airport. Dim rays of moonlight coming from the upper floor pierced the veil of darkness shrouding the large rectangular room, revealing dozens of zombies. Destroyed equipment, bags and cases ripped open and their content scattered all around the room, countless smears of blood on the floor and walls were all evidences of the carnage that had occurred since the Event.

The duo didn't waste any second in this living graveyard, sprinting towards the closest stairs up. Sticking to the directions given to him as they moved, Zoro was in front, using two of his swords to behead or simply cut down any hostile on their route, having traded the now useless flashlight for a second blade. Ace was right on his toes, swinging the torch around to set ablaze the corpses that his partner couldn't take care of in their hurry. Once they reached the surface, they made their way through the maze of corridors in direction of the control tower, passing by a horde of undead slowly going after them. Without a single cloud in the night sky, the pale glow of the moon shone freely on the glass roof, illuminating the whole place and facilitating their progress. The raven led them to a loading bay where they used a bridge with no plane connected to it in order to exit the building. Their destination was only hundreds of meters away but another pack of monsters could be spotted near it, most probably attracted by the survivors that had gathered there. The only door had been torn down and something or someone had smashed a big hole in the window at the top of the tower. Between those in front of them and those pursuing them, getting up there and coming out alive was bound to be tough.

The greenhead was prepared to charge head first into the enemy but his companion motioned them to a nearby plane where only four zombies stood close to a small car used for luggage transportation. As instructed, he dealt with the quartet, first slashing their legs before chopping their heads off. Meanwhile, the raven disconnected the trailers from the vehicle and got into the driver's seat. Fortunately, the key was still in the ignition so they wouldn't have to search the workers' bodies for it. He started the engine and let the swordsman hop in before moving off towards the tower, using what little time they had to explain his plan.

One of them was to remain outside and distract as many monsters as possible while the other would enter the building to look for Luffy and the survivors. Comparing their weapons clearly indicated which of them was more suited for each task. Should the car run out of gas, fire breathing would be much more efficient against a large group out in the open than swords as it could set ablaze many of them from a relatively safe distance. This advantage would be lost when fighting indoors, especially when going up the narrow staircases to the top. On the contrary Zoro could handle such tight spaces with his katana, plus he was eager for battle, much more than for driving around while the other had all the fun.

It didn't take long for them to reach the tower. Ace drove around the horde and dropped his passenger near the wall and let him bust through a window before diving full speed into the corpses closest to the destroyed door, successfully getting the attention of all those around him. Now, all he could do was keeping them busy and being ready for their escape.

While the raven was dealing with the trouble outside, the greenhead walked out of the office he had ended up in and began his exploration. The first floor was shaped in a square with a single entrance located in one of the corners, several rooms along the outer wall and a spiral staircase in the center leading up to the communications center at the top of the tower. The place had not been spared by the chaos and was in no better state than the main building. There were still some zombies left inside but nothing the swordsman couldn't handle.

Although all the doors were torn down, hinting that any eventual survivor locked inside had been overrun before their arrival, he took time to check each and every room. As expected, he didn't come upon any living person but neither did he find Luffy's body, whether dead or revived. He also made sure to eliminate the undead present on this floor to avoid trouble on the way back, taking advantage of the open area in the corridor to use the previous tactic of slicing the legs then beheading them. Fighting in the staircase proved much harder as not only did the narrow space prevent him to use the same tactic but the elevation disadvantage also forced him to be extra careful.

Eventually, he reached his destination only to find a devastated room with no one left to save. Remains from the makeshift barricade were scattered all over the floor. Its destruction had ultimately led to a last stand to the death. Nine corpses were lying on the floor, six of which belonged to the undead horde. Strangely enough, the other three looked like '_normal' _cadavers. They were showing no sign of zombification, yet inflicting the same wounds to a flesh-eater was not enough to send it back to their deathly slumber. However, none of them happened to be Luffy. The missing teen was nowhere to be found.

Looking out the broken window, he noticed that the swarm of monsters from the airport was already halfway to their position. At least, it appeared that the car had not ran out of gas and could be used for their escape. Unable to find a clue potentially left behind, he quickly descended from the tower, expecting disappointment at his solitary exit. Coming out of the building through the only door, he shouted at the pyro who immediately changed his course to pick him up and get away from their pursuers.

"No trace of your brother." Zoro announced as he immediately received an inquiring look. ". It appears that some survivors, probably those mentioned in his video, did barricade themselves up there but it didn't save them. Whatever happened exactly, he's no longer in there and didn't leave any message behind." He added, putting his swords back in their sheaths as he did.

"Then all we can do is head for our flat and hope to find him there." Ace replied, changing the vehicle's course as he did. Despite his efforts, he couldn't hide the deep concern in his voice. It was most likely his last chance to see Luffy ever again. If he wasn't there… he didn't even want to think about it.

"How far is it?"

"It's near the northern coast."

"On the other side of Stillwater, of course." The greenhead said, shaking his head in disbelief but with an obviously amused tone. "Nothing's ever easy with you, huh?" Both men chuckled, allowing themselves to relieve some tension for a few seconds. There was a long stressful way ahead of them, they might as well enjoy what little times of peace they could have. "I hope you have a plan to get there 'cause the town is certainly crawling with even more of those things than here and this car isn't exactly a nice big hummer." He added.

"The subway's our best bet in my opinion. It will take us right to the apartment." Most of the subway network was elevated, which would make it much easier for them to move around and avoid danger. There were exceptions however. On the three bridges it was crossing, the tracks were at ground level, right in the middle of the road, without any obstacle to prevent vehicles or people from going on it. There were also two short tunnels, one of which ended up in the underground station.

While talking, the raven had driven them around the airport. Bumping into wire fencing, they arrived in front of the building, facing a scene resembling the desolated streets of Tarbes. Destroyed urban equipment, wrecked cars, blood, zombies… and they weren't even in the heart of the city yet. Only a handful of other constructions stood on the small isle, leaving a lot of unused space and open terrain which the duo could use to its advantage. Instead of dumbly following the road, they traveled along the coast until they reached the bridge leading to the southern main island where they carefully set their ride on the tracks.

After going up an avenue bordered by a park on one side and old decrepit buildings on the other, they reached a subway crossroad. Unfortunately, Ace's intention of going left was rendered impossible by a derailed train now obstructing the way. Although they could have climbed over it and continued by foot, they preferred using the car as long as possible. The distance wasn't a problem as it was relatively the same no matter which option they chose. The difference was the potentially risky situations they could encounter. Both paths required them to cross another bridge, that didn't change. However, while the left one only had one station, the right one would take them through two stations and more importantly a tunnel. Another possibility was to bypass this underground part but it implied a route five times longer than it.

Right past the crossroad was Cecil Park station. A few zombies were on the platforms beside the tracks but they couldn't do anything to stop their vehicle. That was at least one obstacle easily dealt with. Turning left in order to head north again, it didn't take long for them to reach the nearby tunnel. Turning the headlights on, they entered the dark passage.

"Shit!" Both boys muttered simultaneously as the pyro suddenly slammed on the brakes.

Two trains had stopped side by side and were blocking the way. Small platforms on both sides prevented them from going around them. Numerous zombies were wandering all around the place, many of them already turning in their direction. Ace briefly reflected on the odds of the detour being blocked too compared to actually trying to get through so many monsters until an idea crept into his mind.

"Hold tight, we're going for the roofs!" He shouted to his partner as he charged forwards at full speed, bumping into the few undead standing on the tracks before drifting, the car coming to a brutal stop as its left side slammed into the trains. Both boys quickly got out of their ride and used it to climb on top of the obstacles. Up there, the raven took a short time to refuel the torch which had stopped burning while the greenhead inspected what he could see of the way out with his flashlight**. **Once done, the duo jumped down on the tracks, weapons in hand ready to fight the many undead in front of them, aware that the horde behind them would soon catch up with them if they didn't hurry.

The instinct of survival took over their mind entirely, cutting it off from all thoughts and emotions as they took enemies down one after the other. Legs were either sliced or broken; heads were chopped and bodies set ablaze, filling the fighters' nose with the horrid scent of blood and charred flesh. Steel and fire were dancing together in the dark, sending those who had been deprived of it to their final slumber. Two dozens of souls were sent back to the Reaper before they could finally sprint out of this nightmare. Even after coming out in the reassuring moonlight, they kept running until their lungs forced them to slow down.

They didn't waste much time catching their breath however; they had to keep going. Not only were they barely halfway to their destination, they now no longer had a car to easily lose the zombies on their trail, as if those they were bound to encounter on the rest of the way weren't enough. The relative safety of the elevated subway was more than welcome as they progressed steadily along the tracks, doing their best to ignore the depressing sights around them. Although the scenery was the same as ever, the height allowed them to witness it over a whole part of town, giving off an even more dreadful impression. Surprisingly enough, while some flesh-eaters were randomly wandering the streets, most in the vicinity were heading towards the same building, some sort of hotel with a "Purgatory" sign at the entrance. Noises resembling gunshots were coming from inside, indicating that survivors were probably defending themselves in there. Alas, there was nothing the duo could do for them. Even if they managed to jump down without hurting themselves, the horde surrounding the place was too much for only the two of them to handle. It was too late anyway as the gunshots rapidly fell silent.

After minutes of walking, they arrived at the most apprehended part of their journey through Stillwater: crossing the channel to the northern main island. Hundreds of meters with nowhere to hide and no escape route except jumping in the usually freezing water. Plus between drivers, subway users, pedestrians merely passing by and sightseers enjoying the two pairs of decorative towers built on each side of the bridge, it wasn't hard to imagine an impressive lot of zombies standing in their path, not to mention those still pursuing them.

At first sight, there was some good news though: no obstacle would hinder their march, car wrecks being mostly located at the edge and no train having had the stupid idea to derail right in the middle of the way. Also, the welcoming committee was there as expected but its members had been kind enough to spread out all over the place instead of sticking all together in a giant bothersome swarm. As long as they didn't waste time, they wouldn't be in such a tight spot as in the tunnel.

The open terrain was a great advantage for them, allowing them to adapt their tactic depending on the number of enemies approaching them. While each of them could easily take down one or two isolated monsters by themselves, larger groups were much more risky to handle alone. In such cases, Ace acted as a diversion by circling around them, occasionally setting one or two on fire if an opportunity presented itself to him. In the meantime, Zoro had no trouble slashing them one after the other until their number was low enough to finish them together. As a result, they managed to keep advancing at a steady pace with neither of them being wounded in the process. Sadly, they still had a nasty surprise when reaching the end of the bridge.

A tanker had crashed into one of the pillars supporting the subway and the resulting inferno had caused it to collapse, creating a gap that neither of them could jump over.

"Change of plans…" The raven announced with a frustrated sigh. They'd have to go for a more direct but also more dangerous route. "Follow me." He added, starting to jog. There were many zombies roaming around but they ignored them as much as possible, neither of them wanting to spend more time in the streets than necessary. Plus fighting here would prove useless. They would merely tire themselves even more than they already were only to attract more hostiles from the surrounding area. The sooner they'd reach the flat, the better.

The duo first turned left after the bridge and went up a large avenue until they found themselves under the elevated highway. They then ventured into a narrower street on the right which led them to a small plaza at the end of which was a stairway going up. When standing at the top, sounds to their left caught their attention.

Groans from dozens of flesh-eaters only a few meters away.

Both boys swore before dashing at full speed through the parking lot in front of them. The elevated subway was already in sight, two streets away to the north with their destination right beyond it. The square-shaped building looked only a few years old and had two functions. The five lower floors served as a public parking lot while the others formed the residential part. An elevator and a staircase allowed access to all levels but a key was required to unlock the upper floors. Unfortunately, another undead pack was present near the entrance, blocking both ways.

The older man took them to the left side of the building where they jumped over the small wall. Using the ramps meant for cars, he led them all the way up to the fifth floor, sprinting like madmen to avoid the numerous monsters on the way. Once there, he approached the western facade. Not far above them was the emergency fire exit; he could reach it with an accurate jump. If he missed well… landing would be rough. Before neither his sanity nor his partner could point that out and make him hesitate, he went for it. And succeeded. Grabbing the bottom of the escape ladder, he hauled himself up and signaled the other to do the same as him. With all those monsters so close behind him, he didn't have any alternative anyway. He did as he was told, grabbing the extended arm ready to catch him. When the two were finally together on the stairs' balcony, they just sat down to rest their painful legs a bit, grinning widely at each other.

They were safe, for now.

"Man, that neighborhood is as shitty as ever." While the joke earned Ace chuckles from his partner, it did nothing to lessen his own nervousness. He couldn't wait to get inside but he was afraid of finding nothing but an empty flat, if not worse.

Getting up, Zoro followed him silently to the eighth floor where they stopped in front of a window, a curtain preventing them from seeing inside. He expected him to knock or smash it. Instead, he just fiddled with it, successfully opening it within mere seconds.

"How the hell did you just open it from the outside so easily?" The greenhead asked,

"Years of nightly escapades." The raven simply answered with a grin.

They entered a small room, the pale moonlight revealing two single beds amongst other furniture. Nobody was in sight, but someone or something was definitely there. A faint flickering light was coming through an open door and noises sounding a lot like snores could be heard. With a mix of hope and apprehension filling in his eyes, Ace went straight into that room.

Lying on a couch and sleeping peacefully near a pair of lit candles, drool dripping from mouth, was the teen they were looking for.

"Luffy!" the raven shouted. The familiar voice woke his brother up instantly. Huge smiles immediately formed on both faces as they jumped into each other's arms. "Ace!"

The greenhead watched in silence as the two of them embraced each other. Part of him envied them, bringing painful memories of his own bloody reunion to his mind, but he shrugged them off. Deep down, he was feeling optimism for the first time since the Event. They had made it this far and had actually found the younger sibling alive and well. These two had just proven that blind hope might not be so foolish after all.

Brighter days were still hard for him to picture but with these two around, surviving would definitely be worth a try.

* * *

**Author's Notes: And here comes Luffy. **

**The fights may be a bit disappointing but zombies aren't exactly the most challenging opponents. Don't worry, there'll be much higher challenges ahead of the group. And don't imagine that Ace is only good as a diversion in this fic. He's just saving his precious fuel for tougher situations.**

**The title for this chapter is a reference to a soundtrack from the great RPG "Chrono Cross".  
**

**The Stillwater described in this chapter is a slightly modified version of the city from 'Saints Row 2'. The "Purgatory" building is the Saints' home base in the game.**

**Also, sorry for the long delay for the update but work has recently become much more time-consuming.**

**Thank you for reading, even more for reviewing. Don't hesitate to point any mistake, inconsistency or anything. Useful criticism is always welcome, especially for a beginner like me.**


	4. Reunion Tour

**Here's the (very short) fourth chapter, second and last part of the journey through Stillwater. Lots of talking at first followed by a bit of action.**

**Author's notes can be found at the bottom.**

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Zoro remained silent while the brothers embraced each other, both telling how much they had feared the worst over the last hours. After facing so many dangers at the pyro's side on this desperate rescue mission, not to mention those they would surely encounter on the way out of town, he didn't mind resting a bit in a safe place (well, safe for now at least). Thus, he waited patiently as the siblings let their happiness sink in. Moments later, the younger of the two seemed to finally register his presence, sending him a questioning look which the older one noticed.

"This is Zoro, a friend." Ace announced. "I met him on the way to Stillwater. I probably wouldn't have reached you without his help." He added, giving a grateful nod to the swordsman.

"Don't thank me yet, we still have to make it out alive."

"But with the three of us, there's no way we can fail!" Luffy exclaimed with a wide smile and a tone which stunned the greenhead. It wasn't just basic confidence; the teen was saying it like an obvious truth that nothing could ever contradict. He had thought the freckled man was far too optimistic for his own good but that was nothing compared to him.

Ace burst out in laughter at Zoro's incredulous expression. Most people had such a reaction the first time they met the scarred boy. "That's Luffy for you." He eventually said before introducing the two and letting them shake hands. However, his hilarity stopped suddenly when he spotted something alarming. "Luffy, what's that on the back of your neck?"

Checking the mentioned area, the greenhead saw what caused such a fuss. Teeth marks…

"What, that? Don't worry, it's not much. One of those things tried to bite me from behind, back at the airport."

Dread filled the pyro's eyes but the swordsman cut in, preventing a panicked reply from his friend. "That was quite some time ago already. You've been feeling weird or something since then?"

"Of course not, why should I? It's just a light bite, there's not even any flesh gone!"

The trio was a display of various states of mind. Luffy was confused, failing to see the point of their agitation. Ace was worried sick, fearing what his brother might soon turn into. Finally Zoro was pensive, pondering on all the possibilities at hand to explain the situation. After a few seconds of uneasy silence, the latter spoke up again.

"Now that I think about it, I found bodies up the control tower that somehow seemed not to have RISEN AS undead after their death, yet their injuries weren't lethal for zombies." His thoughtful tone caught the elder's attention who reflected on his words, desperately looking for comforting news.

"You think something prevented their transformation?"

"Hell if I know. If you wanna go out there and play the guinea pig then be my guest." The greenhead replied with a smirk, echoing the freckled man's tease back in the tunnel. "It's a wild guess but perhaps only crazies later turn into zombies. _Normal_ survivors like us might be immune to whatever causes it, just don't ask me how or why." He had to admit it sounded odd even to his own ears but for now, that was the best explanation he could think of. Another moment of silence went on as each of them let the information sink in until a high-pitched voice pierced their ear with a suddenly alarmed tone.

"Wait, are you saying I could become one of those things?" The swordsman facepalmed, unable to conceive that the idea hadn't occurred to the scarred teen until now. The older sibling tried to clarify what they had discussed in order to reassure both himself and his brother. However, the void in the younger boy's eyes gave clearly indicated that he didn't understand anything, so he eventually settled for simply telling him that he should be safe. Hopefully, he really was.

"Speaking of that, how did you escape?" Luffy looked at Zoro with incomprehension all over his face. "The tower must have been crawling with zombies coming after you. Even with the six undead who were killed and those busy devouring the survivors you were with, going down the stairs and getting out with only one light bite seems like a miracle."

"Well, the stairs were blocked so I jumped through the window." While Ace burst out in laughter again, the greenhead's eyes were struggling to pop out of their socket. How could that boy say that so casually? And how the hell could the other _laugh_ about it?

"All right, crazy _does _run in the family." He muttered, earning more chuckles from both siblings who smiled widely at each other. "It's a wonder you didn't break any bone with such a fall."

"Not so much, actually." The freckled man replied, getting a skeptical look from the swordsman. "He's always done extreme stunts that would give heart attacks to unaccustomed people. Yet as far as I recall, he never broke anything. One time he even put his fingers in a plug socket; barely felt anything! The doc said he's somehow more resilient than most people, as if he were made of rubber or something like that. Or he's simply one lucky bastard."

"You're just jealous 'cause we had to call him after you put your own fingers and lost consciousness due to the shock." The younger brother retorted, teasingly sticking his tongue out.

"Shut up!" The older one snapped with an amused tone, trapping him in a headlock for a brief moment. "By the way, here's for you." He added, placing the shorter boy's straw hat on his head, resulting in deafening thanks and shouts of joy.

Zoro sighed and facepalmed again before ending the topic. "Anyway, we can't stay here forever, not with all those freaks out there. We'd better pack everything we need and leave as soon as possible."

"Actually, we have a little problem there." Ace warned, earning an inquiring gaze from his friend. "Most of my stuff is in Fireburg and what we have here isn't really suited for traveling in the wilderness. Plus there probably isn't much food left; we were supposed to get to the mall after my arrival."

"I'm starting to think you like complicating things." The greenhead replied with another sigh. "How about plundering the other flats? I doubt any of your neighbors will ever complain about it."

"We could try that but I had something else in mind. There's this commercial center called 'Phantom Caverns' on the southeastern coast. A converted natural cave connects the lower levels of the building to a small pier. We could get a boat from the leisure docks to the north in order to reach it. Once we're done, we can use it again to leave Stillwater without encountering all the zombies at the airport."

"Wouldn't there be a lot of them in there? All the customers and employees?" The greenhead asked after a short reflection.

"It only opens at 9:00 A.M. on Saturdays so there shouldn't have been too many of them inside when all this shit happened. There should be a locked fence or two but you can probably handle it. And at least they don't bite." A loud crack was suddenly heard from the corridor soon followed by menacing groans plus bumps and scratches on the front door. Even with the cabinet previously moved by Luffy to block it, it wouldn't resist for long. "Shit, the security gate must have broken down. To the fire escape, hurry!"

Raiding the other flats was no longer an option. Their best bet was to proceed with Ace's plan.

The trio rushed out through the bedroom window as the fragile door was being torn down by the incoming undead pack. Running down the ramp, they kicked the ladder free and climbed it down. Fortunately no monster was dangerously close to the bottom, most of the horde that had previously been pursuing them now being on the higher parking levels. When the three finally reached the ground, they quickly headed towards the nearby cliffs to the northwest and started running along the road which bordered them.

Being located on the outer rim of the city, only a few hostiles were present on the lane at first. However, getting to their destination also meant entering the coastal tourism area. Although the pier mentioned by Ace wasn't far from the entrance, they'd still have to get very close to a large hotel and a small commercial center built near the leisure docks. Therefore, the further they went, the more enemies were wandering around. Still, they wasted no time dealing with more of them than necessary, preferring to avoid all the fights they could. Only those standing directly in their way were cut in half by the swordsman.

The three survivors soon arrived on the narrow concrete pier at the end of which was the rental shop. On a lower platform beyond it were several boats still attached to mooring bollards. Only problem in sight was a group of more than twenty zombies blocking their route. With all those on their toes, turning back would be suicide. They had to get past that pack but charging head on was far too dangerous due to their number.

"Step back!" Ace shouted as he took one of his bottles out of his pockets and put some of its content in his mouth. Bringing the relit torch in position, he spewed all the liquid, creating a large fireball. Not only did all those engulfed by the flames start burning fiercely but those who subsequently touched them were also set ablaze until none was spared.

"I hope for you we won't suffer the same fate." Zoro said, reminding his friend that they didn't know if that unnatural ignitability also affected them.

"No time for prudence. Pray if you wish and get ready to follow me."

The trio kept maintained his distance, impatiently yelling at the burning corpses to hurry up and die before the rest of the horde caught up with them. Each second felt like an eternity, undead bodies falling down one after the other. As the last of them hit the ground, the pyro ordered the younger two to stick to him and made his way through the maze of fire, using his experience to assess which path was the safest until an imposing wall of fire blocked the whole width of the pier. He faced it for a brief moment, the greenhead's words echoing in his mind as he braced himself for what could be the last jump in his life. Landing unharmed on the opposite side answered their issue: unlike zombies, they had not become some incredibly flammable material.

No longer fearing to become living torches, the others quickly joined him. Together, they rushed towards the rental shop, busting down two doors to get access to access the vendor's cabin. Fortunately, the place had not suffered any plunder or destruction and all the boats' keys were still hanging on the provided wall panel. Taking them all, they exited the small building and went for the wooden platform where the boats were parked.

Three more zombies attempted to stop them from reaching it. The animated bodies of a long-haired Asian girl, a Hispanic boy with a beanie and an older short-haired man still wearing glasses were the last obstacle between them and their ticket to survival. It didn't take long however for Luffy to punch the first one repeatedly until she fell in the water and sank, for Ace to break the second's legs before setting him on fire, and for Zoro to behead the last one. With nothing or no one hindering their progress anymore, the trio went for the closest Python boat, the swordsman removing the mooring rope while the siblings started the engine. Finally, they moved off, leaving behind their pursuers, noticing that some had vainly tried to go through the raging wall of fire.

Ace drove around the Stillwater archipelago, heading for the cave he had previously mentioned. The route passed along the northern and eastern coast, allowing the three boys to have a look at the state of the main city and the 'Saints Row' district, especially the remains of the Ultor Tower, once the most impressive building in town, whose upper half was now lying on the ground. Not a single area had obviously been spared by the Event. What stood before them was no more but a ruined graveyard inhabited by the living dead, its gloomy atmosphere reinforced by the pale glow of the moonlight. There was no hope for anyone to survive long here, at least not until all the monsters were either killed or cured, if the latter was even possible. They wouldn't be the ones to handle such a task anyway. Once they were done with preparations, they would simply bid farewell to this place.

Minutes later, they approached a small wooden pier coming out from a natural cave at the bottom of a cliff. As supposed by the elder of the group, there was no sign of hostile presence in the area; not yet at least. After securing the boat, they carefully headed into the dark grotto. Right by the entrance was a metallic platform with stairs going down. The tunnel leading to the commercial center was right on the next level, blocked merely by a thin fence. A warning stated that it was supposedly electrified when locked but with no more power in town, it was now no more than a petty obstacle which the swordsman easily cut down.

Brick walls quickly replaced rocky faces as they entered the building's lower levels where the shops were located. However, most were still closed so the trio went up to the mall part on the first floor via a series of stairs only to find it was locked too. Proceeding meticulously, they inspected the whole place, busting down basic doors until they obtained a set of keys from the security office which would allow them to unlock every single iron curtain in the complex. They also eliminated the dozen of undead employees wandering about so they wouldn't be disturbed during their stay. When they were finally done, they went on with their preparations, taking in consideration what the greenhead was already carrying.

Food and drinks of course but also a frying pan, a saucepan and a small camping gas canister to help cook for them three. A compass along with detailed maps of the country to avoid getting lost in the middle of nowhere. A pair of large comforters and a tent big enough to house the whole group, although there would always be one of them on guard duty. Two heavy-duty flashlights to replace Zoro's basic one. Finally, a few additional clothes, especially for the siblings.

While rummaging around for all that stuff, Ace suddenly had an idea and went to seek some specific items: a pack of six glass coke bottles plus some alcohol, some black adhesive tape and a white T-shirt. Ignoring Zoro's protests, he quickly ventured outside and came back minutes later with a gasoline tank, making sure to relock the main entrance's iron curtain. When he started emptying the bottles and tearing the shirt, the others sent him puzzled look which he quickly noticed.

"Molotov Cocktails" He explained with a wide grin. "These should come in handy if we stumble on a horde of zombies again." By the time he was finished with all six projectiles, the rest of their equipment had been gathered and either stored in traveling bags or tied to them.

With everything ready, they went back to their boat and moved off towards the mainland. Staring at the city possibly for the last time, the siblings thought of all the memories they were leaving behind, not to mention all the friends they'd probably never see again. Yet, despite the sadness of such considerations, they were smiling along with their green-headed friend. Rescuing Luffy and escaping from Stillwater alive was a success. Now was the time to travel in search of a safe haven and perhaps more survivors.

No matter if they never found anything or anyone, they would simply survive for as long as they could and enjoy what little pleasures they would have on their journey, including each others' company.

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**Author's Notes: I know this one's quite short, sorry about that. The whole journey through Stillwater was supposed to be contained in only one chapter but due to its length, I decided to cut after joining Luffy. I wasn't expecting the rest to be THIS short -'  
**

**Anyway, chapter 5 is on the way. With the trio finally out of the city, they can start traveling seriously. The wilderness has much more interesting challenges waiting for them.  
**

**The title for this chapter is the name of a mission from "Saints Row 2". Also, the 'Phantom Caverns' described is a slightly modified version of the one from the same game. And kudos to those who recognized the characters who made a cameo in there.  
**

**Thank you for reading, even more for reviewing. Don't hesitate to point any mistake, inconsistency or anything. Useful criticism is always welcome, especially for a beginner like me.**


	5. Under a Sky Full of Stars

**Finally. Done. With. That. DAMN! Chapter! Sorry about that...  
**

**First of all, my sincere apologies for taking so long to update. Work and private life have kept much quite busy for the past months, leaving me very little time for writing. And when thing finally calmed down, that damn chapter resisted with all its might. I swear that bastard didn't want me to write it! Hopefully, the next ones won't be so troublesome.  
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**Anyway, here is chapter 5. Not much action here, mostly starting to work on Zoro and Ace's relationship. Don't expect anything serious yet though, give them some time to fall in love with each other ^^. Still, I hope you'll like it.  
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**Also, thanks a lot to all those who took time to review up until now. If possible, if you're too lazy to login (happens to all of us from time to time :p), please be sure to use your exact member name as I try to reply to every single one of you.  
**

**As usual, author's notes can be found at the bottom.**

* * *

As their boat slowly moved away from Stillwater, all three survivors were starting to feel the exhaustion that had until now been lessened by the rush of adrenaline. They all needed some well-deserved sleep, meaning they had better find a quiet place where to set camp for the rest of the night and soon. Using their boat to safely inspect the coast from a distance, they eventually came across a creek around two miles to the east of the tunnel used by the duo to enter the city. It was surrounded by small hills with no trees or shrubs at the top, perfect to spot incoming zombies. As chances to find a better site in the vicinity were low, especially considering they had no idea how much fuel they had left, they decided to land there.

It didn't take long to unfold their tent but still enough for Luffy to fall fast asleep again. After carrying him inside, the older two went back outside for a brief talk and quickly agreed that at least one of them should ensure guard duty, just in case something (or maybe someone…) decided to pay them a visit. Eventually, the greenhead offered to stay up first and to switch roles a few hours later while they let the teen enjoy a full night's sleep. Ace accepted the offer and went to join his brother, bidding goodnight to the swordsman who was trying to make himself as comfortable as possible for his hours of watch. Fortunately, nothing came to disturb them.

When the younger boy rose in the morning, he was greeted by the pleasuring smell of food. With no potential threats too close to the cove, Ace had deemed it safe enough to light a fire that he and Zoro were now using to prepare a rather copious breakfast which would hopefully make up for the lack of dinner on the previous evening. The group enjoyed the tranquility of the area and calmly discussed their future course of action as they ate, the main interrogation being "where to go?"

The scarred teen's only notable proposition was to stay and fortify their current location seeing how peaceful it seemed but with no source of fresh water and a ruined city full of undead nearby, the others had quickly dismissed the idea. As for the greenhead, he was forced to admit he didn't have any lead to suggest, mostly because he didn't have much knowledge of the country. Aside from Tarbes, his hometown was all he ever knew and he barely remembered it.

In the end, they settled for one of the pyro's plans: heading for Clyde, a harbor town along the southern coast of the continent. Perhaps a city located 350 miles to the south had been spared by whatever Event had hit the northern region. If not, then they could try to reach the local navy base supervised by the siblings' grandfather, vice-admiral Garp. If the old man had survived, he would undoubtedly do everything in his power to defend the place and make it a sanctuary for survivors such as them. Otherwise, they could at least gather some useful equipment from in there, including weapons, before setting off on another journey.

Although they were doing their best not to show it, neither of them was feeling genuinely optimistic about what they would find but it was their best option nevertheless. Was there even such a safe haven to be found anyway? All they could do was keep traveling and hope.

An hour later, their preparation finally complete, the trio left the cove and began its long walk southward.

* * *

Not much happened over the following days. Save for the varying landscape, every passing day resembled the previous one, much to Luffy's dismay. The scarred teen was eager for some entertainment but he was also painfully aware that aside from zombie attacks, there wasn't much to expect. Not that fighting wasn't fun but even he could understand that people trying to survive should avoid danger rather than head straight into it. Therefore, despite his inner self that kept rambling on how boring things were, he never complained out loud, which did surprise Ace a bit at first.

Staying as far away from trouble as possible was precisely the older raven's number one priority. Referring himself to their new map, he was planning the group's course so they never got too close to urban areas, especially the city of Buffalo Falls. Instead, he took them through fields, country roads and tiny villages. Encounters with small groups of undead occurred from time to time, nothing the three of them couldn't handle though. As long as they didn't stumble across a horde as large as the ones in Stillwater, they should be relatively safe.

However, no matter how cautious they were, night-time would always remain dangerous due to their immobility… and also because all three of them were heavy snorers, which didn't help with caution. For this reason, every day before dark, they made sure to find a suitable spot, providing a good vantage point as well as either an easily defensible position or a potential escape route. Two of them were also sharing guard duty just like Ace and Zoro had done at the creek, a simple turnover allowing each of them to enjoy a full night's sleep every three days, at least unless they had an unexpected visitor.

Despite all those precautions, unanswered questions regularly popped up in their minds. Was there a risk of their campfire giving away their position to such brainless corpses? Should they be on the lookout for zombies only or were there other threats? Had the fauna and flora been dangerously affected by all this? The 'Event' and its consequences were still a complete mystery, so much that they were basically venturing into the unknown, having to be ready for anything to suddenly occur. A hazardous situation…

But as they didn't have anything to do, the three boys kept walking, getting a little closer to their destination with each passing day.

The present one had been particularly calm, with only one lone living corpse to behead on their way. The sun was setting on the horizon as the afternoon was slowly coming to an end. It was high time to settle down for the impending night.

A modest farm, isolated from the nearby towns and villages, soon came into view on their right. From the country road they'd been following for several hours, a long dirt track surrounded by apple orchards on both sides led to a humble two-story house. Right beyond it was a garden while on each side could respectively be found a barn and a vegetable garden, the small size of the latter hinting that it was probably meant for personal use only. Finally, two large rectangular fields could be found beyond the garden, each bordered by a pair of grain silos.

After making sure nothing dangerous was locked up in the barn, the boys quickly decided to spend the night in it. It was obviously safer than camping outside and with only one door and no window on ground level, it was far easier to secure than the house. The owners wouldn't mind anyway; they were gone without a trace.

Over the next hour, Zoro was tasked with looking around the whole place for some edible fruits or crops. In the meantime, the siblings thoroughly investigated the main residence for anything useful. Although no interesting equipment was found in the end, they all did come up with various pleasant foodstuffs: beer, alcohol, ears of corn, potatoes, apples, homemade apple juice, jam and cider…

Ace being the only one with decent cooking skills, he thus used some their newly-discovered supplies to make a nicer meal than just the usual tins while the greenhead tried his best to do a bit of clothes washing, using the water pump located near the vegetable garden to get some seemingly clean water. Luffy was simply lazing about on the grass, his empty stomach along with the sweet scent of food being the only things preventing his fatigued body from falling asleep right on the spot. Once dinner was finally ready, they ate peacefully around the campfire, the youngest boy devouring his own plate even faster than usual and immediately bidding goodnight to the others once he was done, his older brother quickly joining him.

Despite the apparent safety of their shelter, guard duty still had to be ensured. Better being overly prudent than ending up dead (or undead that is) should some zombies or any other threat decide to show up. Today was Luffy's turn to rest fully and Zoro had volunteered for staying up during the first half of the night. That's why, while the brothers were already sleeping soundly (and loudly) on a mattress taken from the house, he put out their fire and secured the barn with a heavy padlock found inside it. He then climbed a wooden ladder to the upper level, grabbing his swords and a dark blanket on his way.

Settling down by the hayloft opening above the main door, he prepared himself for a long watch. Ace would relieve him in five hours.

* * *

Ever since the Event, nights had become a real paradox. With no light polluting the area, the clear sky was filled with more stars than Zoro had ever seen in his life. Shining brightly among them in the black veil was the nearly-full moon, bathing the earth in its pale glow. The whole scenery was still and silent, colored in shades of gray like an old photography. Even the greenhead couldn't help but admire the beauty both above and around him.

Yet at the same time, the world had never felt so awfully dead.

Not a single light or fire shining in the distance which would imply the presence of other people. Not a single sign of movement, except the occasional breeze ruffling the grass and trees. Not a single sound disturbing the oppressive silence other than his friends' snores. And it wasn't only the lack of human activity. Owls, cats, rodents, crickets… all those animals who once gave a semblance of life to the darkest of night were gone. Had the country been ravaged and desolate, it would be the perfect illustration of what the Hades must resemble. Ironically, the only thing that somehow livened things up were those annoying undead...

Looking at such motionless landscapes for hours allowed Zoro to clear his mind and reflect on his own situation.

Three days had passed since their group had begun its journey towards Clyde. He wouldn't pretend that things were looking bright but they weren't so dark either, mostly thanks to his new friends. Getting used to them had proven far easier than expected. Back in Tarbes, he had never bothered himself with overexcited guys such as them, preferring calmer people like Kuina.

However, even if they were undoubtedly the craziest persons he had ever met, they were definitely not helpless as Ace had told him. Every time they had to fight their way through zombies, the siblings instantly entered some sort of serious combat trance completely opposite to their typically carefree behavior. The change was so bluffing that it often led the greenhead to wonder if they weren't a bit schizophrenic. To top it off, even if their fighting style was rather wild, they were actually highly-skilled and audacious enough to face supernatural enemies without a moment's hesitation.

The older raven hadn't been kidding about Luffy not bothering himself with details; his picture could have been in the dictionary, next the definition of daredevil. His brother's cautiousness had probably saved the scarred teen from trouble on many occasions, and it still did. Although to be quite fair, the three of them could be reckless. The difference was that he and Ace acted in such a way only when others were in danger or when they had no other option left; Luffy always did.

The siblings shared many other traits, from their infinite energy to their hearty appetite, the most obvious one being their seemingly everlasting cheerfulness. How they could make him smile and laugh so easily even now never failed to amaze him. These guys were like an endless source of joy and optimism, willing to share their happiness with the rest of the world, Luffy even more than Ace.

There were some notable differences between them though, especially in terms of abilities. On one hand, while the scarred teen was a complete airhead with no talent besides fighting, the sheer power of his radiant personality could invigorate anyone and convince them not to just keep going, like a precious light in a depressing world of darkness. On the other hand, what tiny bit of charisma the pyro lacked compared to his younger brother was compensated by various useful skills coupled with an efficient mix of knowledge, intelligence and wisdom. Figuratively speaking, while Luffy was the spirit, Ace was the brains.

Truth be told, he was truly glad to have them both by his side.

His musings were interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming from inside the barn. Shortly after, the large black curtain set on the open doors to prevent the cold air from getting in was pushed aside, revealing a hatless Ace clad in another dark blanket and holding two bottles of cider in his right hand.

"You're up early." Zoro remarked, noticing there was half an hour left before the scheduled relief time.

"I know, couldn't sleep anymore." The raven answered, handing a bottle to the greenhead and settling down on the other side of the doorway with a deep frown on his sleepy-eyed face.

"Something on your mind?"

"My friends. I just had a nightmare about them… Probably because I've been thinking a lot about them lately. I keep wondering if any of them is still alive, if I'm not abandoning them when I could be looking for them instead." His voice full of concern reminded the swordsman of how worried he had been about Kuina when first waking up.

"I understand how you feel but I doubt we could track them down. Even you will agree that Luffy is a special case. Other survivors are more likely to already be on the move, searching for a safe place like we are, with no message left behind. I'm afraid the best you can do is to wish them good luck." Those could sound like cruel words but Zoro deemed it better to honestly leave room for reasonable hopes rather than hypocritically get them too high.

"I know you're right; it's just hard to realize that I'll probably never see any of them ever again, especially when the last thing I said to most of them was a casual 'See ya next week!'… My friends have always been the most precious thing to me, next to my brother."

The surprised greenhead turned his head towards the raven, raising his right eyebrow. "What about the rest of your family?"

"My parents and grandparents all died while I was a kid. That old geezer Garp is an exception but we don't even see him once a year, so it's not so different in the end. Luffy is the only one I really have left, hence why my friends matter so much to me. They are pretty much like a second family to me."

It was impossible not to perceive his melancholic tone; prying any farther into his past would clearly be ill-timed. Therefore, Zoro didn't reply anything. Instead, he was now pondering about his own friends. Kuina was dead of course, and the Denton twins probably were probably either crazy or undead, but there were a few others who could have survived, mostly from the dojo.

Both boys sat there, silently processing their thoughts all the while enjoying their drinks and watching the nocturnal landscape in front of them. Minutes passed until Ace finally spoke up again with a less anxious voice, albeit a serious one.

"You know, I have yet thank you for coming with me to Stillwater… I'd never have made it to the flat in time without you. Had we arrived ten minutes later, those zombies would already have broken into it and Luffy would be gone… or worse. I owe you big time for this."

"No thanks necessary. I think I actually needed something like this to move past everything that happened. Plus you helped a lot with that so the least I could do was to return the favor."

"Still, you had no obligation to, especially after what I said when I left. Speaking of which, mind telling me what exactly happened in Tarbes to get one such as you so down?"

"I did pretty much like you, except I'm an orphan with no sibling or other relative to look after. Instead, I ran straight to my best friend. Problem was she wasn't herself anymore when she woke up… She killed her father and then came after me." The swordsman paused for a brief moment, lowering his head and closing his eyes as painful memories flashed back. "I had to kill her… Twice. Alive and undead."

The raven was shocked, not only by the horrible tale but by the sudden realization that hit him. Days ago, he had accused the greenhead of running away and not caring about leaving others behind. He mentally cursed himself before replying with both a sympathetic and remorseful tone.

"Shit… No wonder you were so shaken up… My apologies for everything I said back then. I had no idea."

"Well, I wasn't any kinder to you; you had good reasons to be pissed off. Plus, what are you apologizing for? Convincing me to keep going and not to give up hope?" Zoro was looking at his friend again, surprisingly grinning at him despite the serious topic. "Really, don't sweat it, you did the right thing."

Ace burst out laughing, definitely not expecting such a reaction from the other. "Here I thought I'd acted like an ass to you and you're grateful for it… You're weird, you know?"

"Coming from you, I take that as a compliment!" Laughter filled the air as both boys relaxed in the relaxing atmosphere.

"Anyway**,** thanks a lot. As much as I love my brother, I can definitely use someone with more wits than him to deal with this mess. I'm glad we met when we did, and that you're traveling with us." The older boy smiled warmly at Zoro, a gesture immediately returned by the greenhead as he replied.

"Same here. To be honest, you two are great company; even your craziness is kind of soothing. While I'm not what you'd call a people person, facing all this chaos alone would have been awful."

"No kidding. It could be far worse though. We haven't had so much trouble for now."

"How well are we doing?"

"Pretty much as scheduled. At this rate, we should reach Clyde in approximately two weeks. Hopefully, we'll be safe there." Ace's confident face and words failed to hide his slight hesitation during the last sentence.

"From your voice, I guess I'm not the only one with low expectations."

"I'm just being realistic. "Our plan is all based on a single assumption, not to mention many things could happen on the way. Still, whatever we find there, it would be foolish not to at least try."

"Any plan B in mind, just in case?"

"Plan B's the exact same as plan A: choosing a destination and sticking together. Then we just keep doing it over and over again until we either make it through this nightmare or we go out with a bang."

A wide grin appeared on both faces and Zoro chuckled briefly before answering a simple "I'm in." and extending his arm to clink bottles with the raven.

Both fell silent again, simply enjoying each other's comforting presence while slowly finishing their drinks and reflecting on what the future could possibly hold for them, be it good news or bad surprises. After some time and a quite heavy yawn, Zoro bid goodnight to Ace and headed inside to make good use of the few hours of sleep he could catch, leaving the pyro to begin his own half of guard duty.

They still had a lot on their mind but it didn't stop a wide smile from appearing on their faces as they realized how lucky and happy they were to have the other by their side to face that hell on earth with.

* * *

On the fifth day after leaving the farm, the group was about to take a lunch break when the Elni River came into view. Crossing it meant they were nearly halfway to their destination. However, something was very wrong…

Where the fuck was the bridge?

The road they'd been following all morning long was sinking straight into the water several meters ahead of them and they could see it emerge on the other bank, about two miles away. Nothing stood in-between, or at least nothing that could be seen from the surface.

"So what now?" The greenhead asked, turning to face his companions.

"We go across, what else?" Luffy replied, making it sound like he had just asked the dumbest question ever, an eyebrow raised and head tilted to the side.

"Way too risky." His brother immediately stepped in with a pensive tone. "The waters look too deep to stand and the current's too strong to swim over such a distance while carrying all the equipment."

"Any idea why the road is underwater, to begin with?" Zoro inquired. "It's not like it has rained so much over the last few days."

Ace took a short moment to consider the scene in front of him before answering, a deep frown appearing on his face as he did. "I doubt weather has anything to do with it. Even the heaviest of storms could hardly cause such a rising."

"Let me guess; you're about to say things will be far more complicated than expected, right?" The swordsman said, both amused and weary.

"I'm afraid so." Another brief pause. "I believe Erkun's dam has failed… If it did, then the resulting tidal wave must have destroyed or submerged every single bridge all the way to the coast."

"Should we use a raft then?" The question earned the scarred teen a skeptical look from the others.

"Do you have any idea how to properly build one?" The greenhead asked. The blank stare he received from the younger boy was enough to answer him. "Thought so…" He added, rolling his eyes and chuckling a bit while the older raven laughed heartily before speaking up.

"Our best bet is probably to go up the Elni River until we reach Erkun. Once there, we can either try to use the maintenance tunnel or walk around what remains of Lake Ogrun."

"Not like we have any choice I guess…" Zoro said, a nod from Ace confirming it. "Let's go then." He concluded, already starting to walk away, a voice soon calling him from behind among barely muffled laughter.

"Huh, Zoro… Erkun's the other way…"

* * *

**Author's Notes:  
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**And there you have it, the beginning of a warm friendship... Well, we all know where it will lead to already, just be patient.  
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**As you can guess, the next chapter will be more action-centered. Zombies of course but probably something more as well. Hopefully, it won't be so long to write as this one. ^^  
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**The title for this chapter is a reference to a soundtrack from the great RPG "Sword of Mana" (aka "Seiken Densetsu 1" revamped).  
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**Thank you for reading, even more for reviewing. Don't hesitate to point any mistake, inconsistency or anything. Useful criticism is always welcome, especially for a beginner like me.**


	6. A Hint of Things to Come

**Here is chapter 6. A bit of action along with a bit of talking. Not much to say for now, I'll keep it for the author's notes.  
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**The only thing I'll say is that human voices don't go very far under normal conditions. However, for this chapter, just consider they can go a bit farther than normal. ^^  
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**Again, many thanks a lot to all those who took time to review up until now. If possible, if you're too lazy to login (happens to all of us from time to time :p), please be sure to use your exact member name as I try to reply to every single one of you.  
**

**As usual, author's notes can be found at the bottom. Enjoy your reading!  
**

* * *

The group had been walking along the Elni River towards Erkun for some time and while they had yet to confirm it, several elements hinted that Ace's assumption regarding the missing bridge was the right one.

First of all were the many zombies they had come across. Fighting them was useless; they were already dead despite the apparent lack of fatal wound. Their lifeless bodies were sprawled on the river bank, most of them still partly immersed in the water, resembling drowned people brought there by the flow. Whether those monsters could actually die in such a way was impossible to tell for sure but the only other explanation was that they had been killed using another mysterious method. Regardless of the cause of death, all the other facts backed up the theory that they had been moved here afterwards by the stream.

Debris of various kinds could also be found here and there along the shore or floating on the surface. Urban equipment including benches and road signs, chunks of wood and large concrete blocks from buildings, cars and other vehicles… Such diversity could hardly be a coincidence. Not to mention that the most impressive of them, a large trailer truck in rather good condition, could only have been swept away by a _very _powerful current.

Next was the river itself whose width was far greater than normal. Judging from the map of the country, it was supposed to be bordered by highways on each side… except those were nowhere to be seen. The water level had risen high enough to submerge them, filling the narrow valley and forcing the trio to stay at the top of the surrounding cliffs.

Last but not least was the noise they had been hearing for half an hour already. At first, they had barely noticed it, but the closer they were to their destination, the louder it was getting. It sounded like a tumbling waterfall. A _very big_ waterfall…

All these details did nothing to raise the boys' spirits. If the older raven was right indeed and should crossing the Elni prove to be impossible, then the only alternative was a huge detour around Lake Ogrun, which meant at least one additional week of traveling. Needless to say none of them was looking forward to such bad news.

To top it off, it turns out that the weather itself might have a rather wicked sense of humor. As if to emphasize the somber mood, the few clouds that had been obscuring the morning sky had slowly turned into a dark veil completely hiding the sun that had kindly been shining brightly since the beginning of their journey. For now, warm heavy clothes were enough to protect them from the cold, shitty weather. However, the drizzle that had been falling on their heads was getting heavier over time. At this rate, what was merely an annoying rain could soon grow into a much more bothersome storm.

"Holy shit…" Luffy suddenly swore, his eyes wide with shock…

Finally, after a two hours' walk, the town of Erkun and its nearby dam both came in sight… or what was left of it that is.

As assumed by the fire dancer, the imposing edifice had failed; about a third of its hundred and ten meters were gone. Instead, a gap nearly as wide as the structure itself had appeared at its top, clearing the way for a powerful stream to pour freely in the lower valley. Consequently, most of the city was now submerged under fifteen meters of water with only several dozen buildings reaching the surface, one of them showing burn marks. Surprisingly, very few bodies could be seen floating around the area.

"Damn… what the fuck could have caused this?" Zoro asked, which was more of a rhetorical question.

"No idea." Ace answered absent-mindedly. "Could be an accident or the result of some random destruction that occurred when people became crazy. Does it really matter anyway?"

"I guess not." The greenhead remained silent for a moment before continuing with a half smile. "What about that tunnel you mentioned? I hope it wasn't in the middle of town…"

"Nah, it's in a building up there." The scarred teen unexpectedly replied in his elder's stead, pointing a finger at the crest of dam. This atypical display of knowledge earned him an incredulous look from the swordsman.

"How do _you_ even know that?"

"Simple, we both had the same field trips at school over the years. Originality wasn't our teachers' strong point." The older raven informed him with a laugh. "Anyway, just like he says, there's supposed to be a passage in the base of the dam accessible from the monitoring center. It was meant for transporting materials, tools and equipment from one side to another so they could make the necessary repairs quickly enough in order to prevent such critical situation. We never saw it though; the place was under high military surveillance and we obviously weren't allowed to get inside. Let's hope it wasn't just some bullshit the authorities had made up to reassure people."

While listening to his friend's explanations, Zoro observed the landscape around the designated spot. He could only make out a tiny part of what he assumed was the building both siblings had mentioned, to the right of the crest of the dam. Some stairs had been carved into the cliff in front of it, leading all the way down to the city, which now ended straight into the water. There also appeared to be a ramp stretching out on the right and splitting into two paths, one leading down to the town as well and the other remaining at the head of the valley. They could easily use that road to reach their destination.

"Oy..." They were about to head in that direction when a distant voice came out of nowhere, barely audible due to the background noise from the waterfall. "Oy… Over here!"

It took a few seconds for the three boys to locate the origin of these shouts, a lone person standing on the emerged roof of a tenement. It was a thin, well-dressed middle-aged man with short, neatly combed black hair and a pair of small glasses.

"Please, help me!" The stranger pleaded as soon as his presence had been registered by the trio. "I can't swim, I've been stuck here for days and I'm almost out of food!"

"You're too close to the stream; if we tried to carry you while swimming, we'd be swept away by the current…" Ace replied, his eyes scanning the surroundings for a way to get him out of his submarine prison. "Can you get away from it somehow?"

"No, I already attempted to escape via the roofs but even with these, I can't go in your direction. The best I can do is getting closer to the stairs on the cliffs but it's still too far for me."

"Then I'm afraid there's not much we can do right now. We need to find an intact boat or anything else that could help…"

"You should search in the building up there" The man suggested, pointing at the top of the cliff with his finger like Luffy had done minutes ago. "The staff monitoring the dam kept a lot of stuff in reserve for maintenance, including some inflatable dinghies; the ones they used to inspect the structure every now and then."

"Good, we were headed there actually. Do you know if we should expect a lot of zombies?"

"No idea; in normal times, there weren't so many workers and soldiers. However, a lot of people went up there seeking refuge, first from the undead then later from the flooding. There were shots and even a few explosions, probably the guards defending themselves against those things, but that was at least a week ago."

"Alright, we'll go there and check. In the meanti…"

"Thank you. I'll prepare my stuff and go wait for you as close to the stairs as I can get." The stranger interrupted, going back into the tenement so quickly that the fire dancer didn't have the opportunity to finish his sentence. Seeing no reason to waste more time here, the group started walking around the flooded area, towards their objective.

With a quick step and no obstacle on the way, reaching the cliff and going up the ramp took them about twenty minutes. Only once they were halfway to the top did they encounter a pack of enemies. Judging from their casual clothing, those were definitely not soldiers, more likely some of the civilians mentioned by the unknown man. Although many of them showed the same scratches and bite marks as usual, there were intriguing exceptions. From the wounds in their bellies, it was obvious that they had been shot at. Question was, had it happened after or _before_ their rising as undead?

Since that was a fight they couldn't run from, the swordsman unsheathed two of his katanas and prepared himself for some slashing. For his part, with his beloved fire rendered useless by the rain, the pyro mimicked his younger brother, bracing himself for an unarmed fight, both cracking their neck and knuckles like they always did before a battle. An idea quickly popped up in the freckled boy's mind and he ordered the others to take specific positions; he and Luffy near the edge of the cliff, Zoro on the inner side.

When the undead reached them, the greenhead used his opponents' elevated position to easily slice their legs and finish them off with a quick strike to the head, a strategy that had already proven its efficiency. Meanwhile, the ravens let their own foes get pretty close to them, evaded their attacks and threw them over the edge with either a well-placed punch or kick, sending them straight down to the flooded valley. It was an easy battle, and less than two minutes later, the two dozens of zombies had been dealt with, clearing the way to the dam's control center.

What they discovered up there was neither a pleasant nor a reassuring sight. From the stairs leading down to the city to the main entrance of the small building lay numerous corpses riddled with bullets, the foul stench emanating from them hinting that they'd been rotting here for quite a while already. Considering how some of them were badly damaged or even dismembered, not to mention the many sprays of blood in random directions, it wouldn't be surprising if the few craters in the ground were the results of grenades. Still, it appeared that even such firepower hadn't been enough to stop the undead wave and the metal door had eventually been busted down by the attacking horde.

A troubling fact was that some of the victims bore no sign of zombification, yet they had been gunned down all the same, their revival presumably prevented by the shots in their heads. Question was, who were the defenders? Soldiers turned mad and murderous by the Event? Coldhearted bastards who'd rather eliminate everyone than take any risk? Or just some frightened survivors, too frantic to distinguish friends from foes in the midst of battle?

The answer wasn't without consequences. From the outside, it was impossible to tell who had eventually won in the end. Although no more walking dead could be seen in the surroundings, there could well be a lot of them lurking inside. Still, as troublesome as zombies could be, their slowness and stupidity made them rather easy to deal with if you were cautious and knew how to send them back to eternal rest. On the other hand, some people that could be crazy, desperate or cold-blooded were potentially far more dangerous, especially with firearms at their disposal. If those were still in there and decided to attack them as well… the trio could actually be in deep shit with only swords and fire to retaliate.

The three boys looked at each other and briefly debated on how they should proceed, quickly agreeing on a cautious approach that would hopefully prevent any dire situation. Taking position by the entrance door, Ace took a quick peek inside to check for possible threats. After long seconds of examination without spotting anyone, alive or undead, he entered the building and started scanning every other room in a similar fashion while his companions remained vigilant, paying careful attention for any alarming noise or movement.

The large rectangular room they were in was in the center of the first floor. Four doors on the left wall led to the restrooms and staff locker rooms for both genders. There were also two larger doorways on the right. The first one led to a warehouse full of maintenance materials and tools of various kinds. The second appeared to be the access to the tunnel they wanted to use, a large goods lift in the middle of the room and a ramp along the walls allowing people to descend all the way down to the base of the dam. Large doors allowed small trucks to enter directly into the warehouse and use to the goods lift.

Some metallic stairs in the central room were the only way up to the second floor, leading to a security checkpoint. From there, two doors led respectively to the staff chill-out room and the dam control room. In the latter, the wall facing Lake Ogrun was once made of a large window allowing workers to have a basic visual overview of the situation in addition to their sensors and monitors.

Long minutes later, the whole building had been secured. Not a single living soul, not even an undead one was left to be found; only rotting corpses, blood sprays and bullet shells… testimonies of the fierce battle that had occurred days ago. Judging by the trail of bodies and the damages, the survivors had made their last stand in the control room, ready to use grenades at close range if necessary. Whether that had been enough to save at least some of them would remain a mystery.

With the place now reasonably safe, Zoro investigated it thoroughly, looking for any useful equipment. Unfortunately, either the defenders had used up all their ammo and grenades, or someone had already looted their bodies. Forcing the lockers open didn't reveal anything worth taking along as well. In the end, he came back empty-handed from his search. In the meantime, the siblings went to rummage through the warehouse and eventually found the rubber boats mentioned by the stranger, taking one with them along with an automatic inflation system and an outboard motor.

Coming out of the building, the three boys were welcomed by an even heavier rain, the stormy ambiance reinforced by the strong rising wind. Getting near the edge of the cliff, they spotted the unknown man running on the roofs towards them. He had changed into heavier, warmer clothes and was carrying a backpack. He soon looked up in their direction and came to a halt in order to call them.

"So, did you find anything?" The loud noise made by the nearby waterfall and the tumbling raindrops muffled his voice even more than before.

"Yeah, we've got a boat. Hold on, we're coming to get you." Ace answered. Despite his last words, the man resumed his running towards them.

The trio rushed down the hundreds of steps leading to the city. Once they finally reached the bottom, they inflated their vessel and mounted the motor. By the time they were finished, the stranger had arrived on the roof closest to their position, about three hundred meters away from them. Between the shitty weather and the waterfall, they were sailing in rough waters, forcing them to advance at reasonable speed. Still, it didn't take long for them to get to the man.

"Thank you; thank you very much." The latter said, his relief easily perceptible both in his voice and on his face. "I was starting to fear I'd never get out of here."

"You're welcome. Come on, let's…" The pyro's reply was cut short when something in the background suddenly caught his attention. A pair of wings flying into the air in a gracious way contrasting a lot with the chaotic movements of trash caught in the wind. A bird slowly descending towards the flooded town and landing on a floating piece of wood not far from them, its unexpected arrival surprising them all.

"I'm not hallucinating, right? Is that a dove?" The freckled boy asked with an incredulous voice.

"Looks like it." The greenhead confirmed, sounding as disbelieving as his friend. "Strange though, I thought all the animals had died."

"Guess not. Maybe there's as much survivors among animals as there are among humans. Or maybe they just woke up."

"After ten days of slumber? Weird…"

"Weird?" The older raven replied with a small laugh. "We're facing zombies, remember? Not exactly the illustration of normality."

"True. Well, if the animals are back, let's hope that's good news."

The underlying question was immediately answered as the dove was swallowed whole by a crocodile suddenly leaping out of water merely a few meters away from the audience now wearing the most shocked expression.

"Holy shit! Let's go, quick!" The fire dancer shouted.

Unfortunately, another reptile struck the next instant, his impressive jaws barely evaded by Luffy, forcing the group to immediately jump to safety on the nearby roof. Alas, the latter was located just below the surface, meaning it wasn't high enough to prevent the aquatic predators from coming after them. At least, swimming up to them was impossible; the beasts would have to walk at reduced speed.

On Ace's orders, the four survivors positioned themselves back to back and started scanning the surrounding waters for danger with the help of their flashlights. Long nerve-racking minutes went on as all they could see was two pairs of eyes moving around them in circle until one eventually decided to join them on the roof.

For once, the siblings accepted their friend's offer for a katana, the only reliable weapon they could use against such a foe. New instructions were given to prepare for the incoming assault. Stepping back from the animal, Luffy was to keep an eye on the second one while the stranger was to stay behind him and warn him should yet another enemy reveal itself. Meanwhile, Zoro and Ace slowly positioned themselves on each side of the crocodile, waiting for an opening. Attacking head-on was risky, if not suicidal; they had to strike from behind.

However, nothing happened for a seemingly-endless moment. The prime threat didn't move an inch; instead, it kept observing the various preys offered to him and debating which one he should go for first.

"Zoro, watch out!" The scarred teen suddenly warned with an anxious voice. "The other's on the roof, behind you!"

Reacting instantly with a curse, the greenhead pivoted so that he could see both reptiles from the corners of his eyes. Unlike the first one who was still hesitating, this one had obviously chosen him as its target. If both decided to come after him, he'd be in a very tight spot unless the pyro was able to eliminate the one near him swiftly enough.

Another stressful moment went on, men and beasts eyeing each others, waiting for one to make the first move.

It was the latest newcomer who initiated the fight, rushing towards Zoro with bloodlust glinting in his eyes. The swordsman leaped to the side, successfully evading the deadly jaws, but he did not dare strike back when another opponent could already be coming after him.

However, the latter had another victim in mind. As the first attack was launched, the younger raven had given another warning to the greenhead, slightly turning his head in the process and letting his guard down for a split second. That was enough for the other crocodile to see this as an opening and to charge him. The scarred teen reacted immediately, alerting the man behind him and pushing him to the right all the while jumping backwards to the left.

Unfortunately, even though neither was hurt by the animal, the water was high enough to conceal small pipes where an unsuspecting Luffy was landing, causing him to fall on his butt. One could nearly picture the delighted smile on his aggressor's mouth. All the boy could do to stay away was to crawl back as the beast was advancing towards him, eager to taste the unlucky teen before he could get back on his feet.

With his mind focused on his imminent meal, the crocodile had forgotten all about Ace who came to his brother's rescue at once. With a loud cry, the pyro jumped on the creature from behind, holding his katana downwards with both hands. As he landed on the beast's back, the cold steel of the blade pierced through the scales and skull, plunging straight into the monster's brain and killing it on the spot.

Meanwhile, Zoro was still facing his own opponent. More attacks were coming at him every few seconds. No longer bothered by the presence of a second foe, he launched a counteroffensive. Right after evading yet another assault, he mimicked his partner and jumped on the animal's back where the deadly jaws couldn't reach him and stabbed repeatedly with Wado Ichimonji. Despite the beast's struggle to get the swordsman off him, his heart was eventually hit, causing his death a few seconds later.

As both reptiles lay dead, triumphant grins appeared on the four survivors' faces. What they failed to notice was another pair of eyes drawing closer to them at full speed.

The following second, loud shrieks of pain filled the air…

The relief on the trio's faces was immediately replaced by a look of pure terror as they discovered the bloody scene. In the midst of battle, the stranger had unknowingly stepped back near the edge, close enough for yet another crocodile to bite his legs. Before they could do anything to save him, the poor victim was dragged away from the roof, soon disappearing underwater as the aquatic predator intended to drown him. His terrified voice begging for help fell quiet, the reddening water being the only testimony of the tragedy…

"Come on, we must get out of here and quick!" Zoro shouted seconds later as he finally got a hold of himself. He didn't care if it sounded disrespectful after that sad turn of events; better one dead person than four.

Looking at the surroundings, he spotted the inflatable dinghy slowly drifting away from the building they were on. Before anyone could stop him, including his own sanity, he dropped his rucksack on the ground and dived in its direction. It was utter madness, he knew it, but there was no other choice; swimming was the only way out anyway.

The siblings watched from the middle of the roof, keeping a wary eye out for other crocodiles as they did. Each passing second was a nerve-racking eternity as they waited impatiently, praying not to see a crimson stain appear at the surface. Only once their friend finally emerged and boarded the boat did they let out the breath they were holding. As soon as the greenhead came back to pick them up, they sailed back to the stairs which were the nearest landing spot and walked up to the dam's monitoring center. Entering the central room of the first floor, they were pleased to see that no unexpected visitor had arrived in the meantime.

In this abandoned building, safe from the shitty weather and from danger, at least for now, they allowed themselves to sit down and take a break. None of them said anything for a while; all they could hear was the heavy rain falling outside. The sound of lightning soon announced the beginning of a real storm.

"What the fuck was that? Alligators? In the middle of a big city?" Ace eventually fumed with a voice both furious and troubled. He knew he shouldn't be shouting at his companions but he couldn't hold back his frustration. Somehow, he felt responsible for letting the man down and regarded his death as a personal, unforgivable failure.

"Not alligators; crocodiles." Zoro pointed out, his tone much calmer than the pyro's. "Elni crocodiles I'd guess. Those live mostly around Lake Ogrun. With the dam broken, I suppose some of them must have ended up down here, possibly brought by the flow."

"Crocodiles, alligators, whatever… No matter how you name them, to me they are nothing but freaking beasts eager to eat us."

"Damn wani." The scarred teen's curse earned him a surprised look from Zoro.

"Wani?"

"Yeah, that's what he calls crocodiles. No idea why…" The older raven explained, shrugging his shoulders as he did.

"Anyway…" The greenhead resumed. "There's something weird about their behavior. As fearsome as they are, crocodiles usually avoid head-on attacks and rely on ambushes as much as possible, yet the ones we fought against were quite reckless." He then paused for a short moment before continuing. "I wonder if the Event hasn't changed them somehow, making them even more aggressive than normal, just like the humans who were affected."

"Don't you think they are simply out for food?" Luffy suggested, showing a seriousness that he usually saved for battles. "After all, they've pretty much been sleeping for ten days, not to say they were dead."

"Could be both. Either way, we should probably expect more situations like that one. The animals are back, and I doubt crocodiles will be the only ones coming after us. Even though they aren't as numerous as zombies but they are definitely more dangerous. Depending on where we go, we'll have to be extra careful."

"Gee, thank you so much for cheering us up." Zoro had to admit that he couldn't say whether the freckled boy's comment was meant to be sarcastic or venomous. "So basically, we're now a bunch of snacks in the middle of starving animals. And of course, they had to wake up right when we finally meet another survivor. Man, talk about a fuckin' great day!"

The swordsman could only concur with his friend. The worst part was that this was no ordinary day for him; today was his twentieth birthday. Back in normal times, he had always had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, he couldn't deny that the parties were fun, especially when Kuina was in charge. On the other, he hated how it made him the focus of attention all day long, which is precisely why he hadn't mentioned it to the brothers yet. He first intended to inform them during dinner but now, he no longer felt like it. Though they hadn't witnessed that part, they could all picture the unknown man's lifeless body being devoured by that reptile bastard. Celebrating after such a tragedy would simply be awkward and disrespectful.

'Thanks a lot to nature itself for this _wonderful_ gift…'

"So what's the plan now?" The scarred teen asked. After a moment's silence, Ace noticed that the younger two were sending him expecting looks. Thus, he did his best to calm his inner turmoil and do some actual thinking, taking everything he knew in consideration to figure out the best course of action.

"Let's settle down here for the night." He eventually answered with a deep sigh. "I don't know about you but I'm not really looking forward to heading back into that storm; it's gonna be dark soon anyway. We can use some furniture to barricade the doors and escape via the tunnel if necessary. We'll wait until tomorrow morning to decide how we get across the river."

Silence then fell on the group as the siblings began setting up camp, giving Zoro some time to put some dry clothes on. Only a few more words were exchanged after that, each of them preferring to deal with the day's events in his own way. Later, despite the various loud noises and the horrible images invading their minds, they had no trouble falling asleep, much to the elder's pleasure as it was his turn to be exempted from guard duty.

The night went on with no incident of any kind.

When they woke up, the dark veil obscuring the sky was gone, leaving only a few gray clouds behind. The sun was back, granting them a bit of comforting warmth to face the chilly morning air. The waterfall was still as powerful as the previous day and the lake was high enough to keep it up for several days at least.

During breakfast, Ace explained the possibilities they had to reach their destination.

His first intention was to go through the tunnel, tread along the edge of the cliff until they were out of the flooded area, and climb down using some equipment from the warehouse. No crocodile but an obvious risk of falling down during the descent, especially when in the middle of a windy storm.

However, the weather had settled down and with the darkness gone, they could easily see what was inside the waters of the submerged city. As a result, they could actually try to use a boat and cross the river. As long as they were prudent, they could avoid another deadly encounter.

While none of them was eager to meet another crocodile, they voted for that new plan. Still, they decided to take some ropes and climbing equipment with them. 'Never know when these things might come in handy', the older raven mused. After packing all their stuff, they went down the stairs in front of the building. Their vessel from the previous day was still at the bottom, ready to be used again.

Getting out of town didn't prove as hard as they expected. Thanks to the sun illuminating the area, these beasts could be spotted from a safe distance. Advancing at moderate speed, all they had to do was to stay alert and to stay clear of emerged roofs behind which some of those sneaky bastards could be hiding. Fortunately, none showed up.

The only thing they came across was a familiar pair of glasses floating on the surface…

Before they knew it, they were back on the road they had been following before this forced detour via Erkun. Leaving the boat behind them, they resumed their trip towards Clyde. In the end, they had successfully made it across the Elni River and had only lost half a day in the process.

However, what could have been a rejoicing news brought them neither the satisfaction nor the victorious feeling as when they had left Stillwater. Instead, there was a bitter taste lingering in their mouth. One of failure, guilt, and death.

They might be closer to their destination, but at the same time, a new dangerous threat had risen.

And the world had cruelly reminded them how easily it could claim their lives, no matter how hard they struggled…

* * *

**Author's Notes:  
**

**Well, that was a bit darker, wasn't it? :p**

**Better expect that kind of things to happen in such a dark world. Anyway, animals will provide a tougher challenge than zombies and a lot of material to play with. ^^  
**

**On a side note, I hope you recognized the crocodile's victim. If not, then consider reading One Piece again. :p  
So you think it's Kuro? Wrong. Guess again...  
**

**And for those who are getting impatient, don't worry, Wiper is coming soon!**

**The title for this chapter is a reference to a soundtrack from the great strategy-RPG "Fire Emblem - Rekka no Ken".  
**

**Thank you for reading, even more for reviewing. Don't hesitate to point any mistake, inconsistency or anything. Useful criticism is always welcome, especially for a beginner like me.**


	7. Whispers in the Trees

**Nearly three months after the last update, here comes chapter 7. My apologies for making you wait this long but between holidays, work, an unscheduled OS, a dead cousin, my difficulty with writing dialogs and the long translation time, it took me a while to finish this chapter.**

**I won't say anything about it for now, I'll leave it all for the comments at the bottom in order not to spoil you.**

**Again, thanks a lot to all those who took time to review up until now. If possible, if you're too lazy to login (happens to all of us from time to time :p), please be sure to use your exact member name as I try to reply to every single one of you.  
**

**As usual, author's notes can be found at the bottom. Enjoy your reading!**

* * *

Six days have passed since the crossing of the Elni. As one would expect, the fateful events in Erkun had first cast a cloud over the group, but it didn't take long for Luffy's endless optimism and eternal cheerfulness to return and to rub off on his companions. His elder brother was still a bit less lighthearted than before and Zoro was as demonstrative as ever, but at least the atmosphere of death and despair surrounding them had eventually cleared, allowing them to resume their discussions and their carefree laughter to be frequently heard again.

Besides, the wandering trio had been fortunate enough not to get into another dire situation yet, although various incidents had occurred all along the journey despite their unwavering cautiousness.

One night as they slept out in the open, around forty zombies had stumbled upon them, presumably drawn there by their heavy snoring. Ace, who was on guard duty at the time, had welcomed them with a Molotov cocktail, effectively reducing their number to fifteen whilst his partners prepared themselves for the incoming battle. Luckily, none of the defenders were hurt as they dealt with their enemies, either killing them outright our simply neutralizing them to finish them off once the rest of the attackers had been eliminated.

Some time later, as they entered a small countryside village where they intended to gather some supplies, the boys had come across a gorgeous young lady showing no sign of zombification and had even talked with her a bit, hoping to get her to join their team. Sadly, they had quickly realized that as healthy as she physically was, the same couldn't be said about her mental state. Indeed, a random comment (a bit uncalled-for to be honest) from the scarred teen had been enough to infuriate her so much that she actually tried to squish them using the iron mace she was carrying. Whether her excessive reaction was the result of an Event-induced insanity or merely of an awfully shitty temper remained a mystery.

In any case, all their attempts to reason with her proved futile and they ended up with no other choice but to take her down. They couldn't bring themselves to murder her though, so they did their best to just knock her out, then move her unconscious body into the attic of an abandoned house before leaving the place. They didn't expect her to survive for long in such a dangerous world but at least she'd be safe until she woke up.

There had also been new developments regarding the fauna. First, contrary to what the group had theorized after the Erkun episode, many beasts were still lying seemingly lifeless on the ground. Most of them were completely unharmed, a detail which led the guys to believe that either part of them were dead for good, either not all of them had yet to wake up from their mysterious hibernation. Some others had not been as lucky and had been devoured in an atrocious, barbaric manner, hinting that the hordes of undead roaming around were not out for human flesh only. They weren't exclusively _anthropophagous _but carnivorous in the broad sense; they were starving for fresh meat and cannibalism was no taboo for them anymore, for the great misfortune of the yummy survivors.

Cadavers were not the only thing they had come upon during their trek though. Some animals were very much alive and well. However, their attitude towards the three men could vary drastically. The good news was that not all of them had suddenly turned into mindless flesh-eaters trying to feed on each and every living being in the vicinity. The bad news was that those who did attack them were generally among the dangerous types.

On one hand, neither the cat, nor the cows or hens they had run into had shown any hostility towards them. In fact, these sort of restored a semblance of normalcy in a world gone utterly crazy. No bird had yet to assault them either; a reassuring point considering how tough and tricky a fight against such small, quick flying foes would prove. But on the other, several species appeared to have become much more aggressive than they once were and when the trio was unlucky enough to be spotted by one such specimen, there was no escaping a fight to the death. For instance, two days after the deadly encounter with the crocodiles in Erkun, they had to face a pair of hungry Dobermans. Some time later, Zoro had nearly been gored while being forced to act as a matador in order to take down an enraged bull.

Luckily, such misadventures were quite rare and their long trip towards Clyde was mostly uneventful. This seventh day marked the end of the second week of travel. Based on the pyro's calculations, at this rate, they should be reaching their destination within four of five days. It would then be the moment of truth. They would find out whether walking hundreds of miles will have been worth it or not. All three boys held on to the hope that they would discover the sanctuary they were looking for. Truth be told, none of them truly believed in the existence of such a utopia but all they could do was to keep going forward anyway.

Now, their next stop was the Sertite Forest. Indeed, the team's objective was located to the southwest of its current position and the fastest way there was through these vast woodlands. The only alternative was to bypass it. Unfortunately, two big cities had respectively been established near the northwestern and southeastern borders. Getting too close to these would greatly increase the odds of coming across more swarms of starving ghouls. A larger detour was possible to steer clear of all urban areas but it would lengthen their journey by at least one or two days, maybe even more.

Plus, although the place was certainly not devoid of danger, there were very few risks a priori and there was no insurance that going around it would necessarily be any less perilous. The woods had become a conservation area about half a century ago. As a result, the two roads that went through it had been destroyed and new trees had been planted to bring the whole land back to its natural state. In terms of hazards, there could be some occasional zombies wandering around here and there but wild beasts were definitely more likely to show up. If the travel guide Ace referred himself to was still accurate, the only potential threats among them were boars and deer. Aside from these, the rest of the local fauna supposedly consisted of squirrels, weasels, badgers, rabbits, foxes and so on. As aggressive as those could turn out to be, they could hardly be considered a terrible menace to resourceful young men.

And so at daybreak, after a restful night that no unwelcome visitor came to disturb, the group entered the forest at the edge of which they had slept. If they could keep up their usual walking pace then they should be reaching the other side around midday tomorrow.

Question was, what surprises did nature have in store for them?

* * *

This sylvan trek was by far the most agreeable part of their journey since they left Stillwater. While the civilized world had turned into a multitude of necropolises and ghost villages, this green oasis lost in the middle of a bleak wasteland gave off a calm and serene aura that seemed so out of place that one could easily wonder if this wasn't just one terrible hallucination.

At first sight, it was hard to say whether the Event had had any kind of influence on the flora; the fact that its nature and origin were shrouded in mystery didn't help with identifying its consequences. Although most trees were dark and barren during the first few hours, that was hardly an anomaly at this time of the year. Fall was halfway through and winter would of course succeed it. Sure, the weather had been exceptionally nice and hot over the last few months but even such high temperatures couldn't prevent the reddened leaves from falling. Still, as the trio ventured deeper into the forest, the deciduous species were slowly being replaced by various evergreen ones, mainly Carob trees and Holm oaks as leafy and majestic as ever which created this lovely environment, especially after two weeks spent roaming the lands of the dead.

The relaxing atmosphere was reinforced by the birds chirping an ode to life as if they were celebrating their revival. A pleasant melody that was most appreciated by the boys who had recently gotten used to the groans of the undead. The winged singers didn't seem to mind when the raven brothers eventually decided to join them and hum as they walked through their lush realm.

Sadly, even if the area gave the impression of being a haven of peace and tranquility, this wasn't the safe sanctuary they yearned for. Danger could be lurking all around them; enemies of any kind could leap on them at any moment and bring them back to the cold, harsh reality.

However, when they did come across something by the end of the afternoon, it was neither beasts nor zombies but two men walking in their direction. The first one was an athletic-built thirty-year old guy with short curly brown hair as dark as his eyes. The second was older, probably around fifty years old, with a gray crew cut, a designer stubble and a similar build as his partner. They were respectively wearing, ample gray pants and a blue shirt and a cap; worn-out jeans, a dirty t-shirt and an opened black leather vest. All they carried with them was a hunting knife sheathed on the younger one's belt and an old-looking rifle currently in the elder's right hand.

"Hey there!" The brunette greeted them once they were close enough. "You're not from around here, right?"

"No, we're coming from Stillwater" Ace replied, their lack of equipment surprising him as the two groups gauged each other. "What about you?"

"We're from Narvala, not far from here, but we've been staying in the forest ever since the dead started to rise."

"You didn't have any trouble since then?"

"Not until yesterday" The older stranger said with a slight hint of annoyance in his voice, though it was hard to determine whether the reason for it was the incident he was referring or the pyro's question. The latter raised an eyebrow and sent him an inquiring look which earned him some clarification from the younger one who appeared to be much more composed than his companion.

"Well, long story short, since the boars woke up, they tend to be overaggressive. Two of these attacked us in our camp yesterday morning. We managed to shoot them down but a horde of undead must have heard the noise. Damn bastards nearly caught us off guard not long after that. There were so many of them, we were forced to run away and leave all our stuff behind."

"Sorry to hear that. Have you tried going back there yet?"

"We were thinking about it." The curly-haired man admitted. "Maybe you could help us? Do you have some weapons, aside from your friend's swords?" He asked after a brief pause, pointing a finger at Zoro's katanas.

"No but we've gotten used to fighting zombies bare-handed. If they aren't too numerous, we should be able to deal with them and recover your gear."

"You could also travel with us if you want." Luffy suggested. It was the perfect opportunity to welcome two more members aboard the team. The strangers shared a knowing smile, then the younger one responded to the scarred teen's offer.

"Thanks but we had an easier plan in mind. After all, why should we bother with getting our things back when you're here to kindly give us yours?"

As soon as the trio realized what he meant, his partner raised his rifle at them, aiming specifically at the armed greenhead.

"You choose." The armed guy announced with a confident, menacing tone. "You can let us do as we please and we'll let you leave with what we can't take with us. Or you can try to resist us but I wouldn't recommend it, unless you expect bullets to bounce off your skin." He explained, watching the three boys one after the other with a very vicious face as he did.

"If you fire, you'll draw all the undead in the area once again." Ace warned them, hoping in vain that it would be enough to make them hesitate.

"Probably, but we can't see a single one from here, which means that even if there are some nearby, we'll have plenty of time to get rid of all three of you and escape with your stuff. When the shitheads arrive, your bodies will be all that's left to be found. And I'm sure they wouldn't mind having a bite."

"What the hell do you want?" The greenhead interrupted him as he was desperately searching for a way out of this mess.

"Simple, we're gonna check what you've got here and help ourselves. Just drop your bags on the ground and step back."

The pyro peeked briefly at his companions, but there was no obvious alternative to go for, so he resigned himself to doing what the thief ordered him to. "The swords too." His accomplice demanded as Zoro was about to move with his precious blades still tied to his belt. With a hushed swear word of frustration, he put them down with the rest of his stuff and walked several meters backwards with his friends.

Whilst the gray-haired robber kept them under surveillance, the other began rummaging through their belongings to determine what could be useful to them.

"Tell me, why are you doing this?" Ace questioned them. "Being able to count on our help would benefit you a lot more than attacking us." He added, sounding as diplomatic as possible. Truth be told, he wasn't confident in his success but he'd rather try to reason with them and fail to change their mind than just stand there doing nothing at all.

"Oh shut it!" The brunette interrupted him, an exasperated sigh suggesting that he had heard such sentences hundreds of times already. "Always the same old same old story… As long as the situation's clear, guys like you make lots of grand speeches in which you promise not to leave anyone behind, no matter what dangers will rise. Then the minute things get nasty, you show no hesitation in running away like cowards to save your own hide."

"Time to grow up, kid." The older one taunted him. "The world has changed. Every man for himself, that's the one and only rule today."

"Which one of you will betray the other first then?" The swordsman retorted. He wasn't bold enough to dare emphasize his remark with a sneer.

"He's right." The freckled man pointed out. "The mere fact that you're here together contradicts what you just said."

"Except it's precisely because we don't trust each other that we're sticking together." The curly-haired guy explained without batting an eyelid but the three boys failed to understand the logic behind such alien reasoning.

"So long as we need each her, nothing bad will happen. But as soon as this is no longer the case, the first one to lower his guard will end up with a knife in his back the next instant." A wicked, predatory smirk crept on the grayhead's face. "Better get this through your thick skull: whenever the only way to survive is to get rid or to sacrifice someone else, be sure to make the first move cos' others won't show any mercy. When it comes to death, blind confidence and friendship no longer mean anything. The only reliable and trustworthy person is yourself. No one will come to save you.

"I doubt robbing people will encourage them to help you…" The pyro commented, incapable of concealing the revulsion that such words inspired him, but his reaction merely served to widen the stranger's smirk.

"You should consider yourself lucky. Think about it; you're still alive when it would be so easier for us to simply shot you all down."

The armed man turned slightly around to aim his weapon at Ace and let his finger run on the trigger for a few seconds.

"But hey, we're no monsters right?" He concluded with a loud burst of laughter.

Then, as he let his mirth come out, his roaring voice drowned out a weird whistle coming from behind him. Both suddenly fell silent when an arrow pierced his throat. Everyone around him was so shocked by this surprise attack, all they could do was stand there mouth-opened as they witnessed his last moments. In one split second, his muscles lost all their strength. His legs could no longer hold his weight and he ended up collapsing on the ground, feeling his life fade away ever so slowly. He barely had time to curse the whole world before blowing his last breath.

The scarred boy was first to come to his senses, and he immediately took off towards the remaining thief but he was only halfway there when the sound of his running caused the man to snap back to reality. The latter was about to dash towards his partner's corpse but he was forced to leap to the side to barely avoid another arrow. Getting back on his feet at top speed, he threw himself at the rifle and picked it up while the teen was closing up on him. He then quickly turned around to face the raven just as he got past the bags. There was merely two meters left between them. Too much for a punch; too little to miss a shot. Without a second's hesitation, he aimed at him, his index finger going for the trigger.

Luffy could picture the Grim Reaper swinging his scythe down on him. It was too late to dodge, and so he braced himself and went for one final attack by jumping straight towards his opponent, closing his eyes in the process. Running several meters behind him, his two companions could do nothing but watch the scene in horror, powerless and fearing for his life.

Time stopped as a gunshot rang out.

The next instant, the brunette was hit head on in the belly by the daring teen. The impact sent him flying backwards and the brutal landing on the ground pushed the hatchet stuck between his shoulders a bit deeper, finishing him off. Luffy was unharmed, saved in extremis by that unexpected blow in the robber's back that had made him lost his balance and aim.

It was a bit longer this time for the younger sibling to come to his senses and realize that he was still alive. But as soon as this wonderful news had sunk in, a crucial detail crossed his mind: the unidentified bowman had killed the two bandits but that didn't necessarily mean that he was their ally. Consequently, rather than rejoicing at his miraculous survival, he swiftly stood up and sent a wary glance in the direction from whence the projectiles had been fired.

However, contrary to what he had presumed out of cautiousness or paranoia, no attack was launched against him or his companions that were finally standing next to him. Instead, they saw a man emerge from a tree's foliage, letting himself fall to the ground from the high branch where he had been hiding until now. As he approached the boys at a brisk pace, all three of them took the opportunity to study this new stranger who had saved them from this predicament.

His height and age were quite close to those of the fire dancer; a tad taller and probably a bit older one would tend to guess. His face bore striking features that immediately attracted the observers' attention. First, his incredibly long dark brown hair arranged in a mohawk prolonged into a segmented braid going all the way down to his hips. Then, the tattoo adorning the left half of his head: three black lines coming from the back of his skull and drawing a moon-crescent-like form around his left eye. A golden spherical earring hung at each of his somewhat small ears. His eyes were the same color as his mane and were emphasized by thick eyebrows that seemed to be scowling naturally as if to constantly wear a severe expression that could imply a bad temper or just a temporary sour mood. Lastly, under a pretty thin nose was a frowning mouth. Taken as a whole, this gave him a suspicious and aggressive appearance.

Aside from the claw necklace around his neck, his torso was clad in a dark brown sleeveless sweatshirt revealing a pair of arms that could rival with Ace or Zoro's build. Like his face, his left shoulder and arm were decorated with a series of tattoos but only one vaguely similar to a sun could actually be seen; the others were either completely or partially concealed under his clothes. His forearm was protected by a black leather bracer. It contrasted a lot with his immaculate right arm outfitted with two leather accessories: an ebony-color wristband and black half-gloves simply covering his index, middle and ring fingers. His legs were covered by dark camo pants but considering how easily he had landed and gotten up after jumping from the tree, those were probably as muscular as the rest of his body. Finally, he was wearing a pair of worn-out dark brown hiking boots.

Furthermore, a flat container suspended from the left side of his belt was apparently meant to be used as a quiver. A single strap slightly different from the bulk of the container suggested it had been added in order to store an additional object there, possibly the hatchet thrown earlier. Two items resembling plastic shoe soles with attached rollerblade wheels were also tied to the belt on the right side. Last but not least, he had a longbow in his left hand but apparently, he could also carry it on his back with the medium-sized bag he wore across his shoulder.

"Thank you, without you…" The pyro began to say once their savior was close to them.

"Not now." The latter answered without even slowing down. "Take your stuff and follow me, we gotta leave now. Thanks to that damn gunshot, this place will be crawling with zombies any minute. We better be far away when they get here."

Whilst talking, he went to recover his hatchet and arrows and then proceeded to search the bodies. In the meantime, the three boys were sending uncertain looks at each others, wondering whether they should do as the man instructed or not.

Aware that his partners would certainly follow his lead, Ace made up his mind and picked up his bag. His choice was motivated by a simple detail: the archer still had around ten arrows at his disposal; he could easily have killed Luffy if he wanted to. Of course, this was no proof that he was trustworthy but he had no other fact on which to base his reasoning and no time to chit-chat with the stranger to get to know him.

"Where are we going?" He asked while his companions fetched their own gear.

"To a nice quiet spot about four or five miles west-north-west from here." The man explained, already heading out without checking whether they were tagging along or not.

"And then what?" The fire dancer added, hoping to get some more information out of their guide but to no avail.

"Then we'll see." He replied without turning back.

None of the younger boys insisted. It was obvious that they wouldn't get anything more from him for now. All they could do was hope that they weren't heading straight into another lion's den.

* * *

"We're here." The archer announced an hour and a half later, breaking the silence they had observed all along the way. Fortunately, they hadn't bumped into hostiles of any kind.

The party had just entered a small clearing somewhere in the Sertite Forest. A lone Holm oak tree stood at the center near a little pond and several stones set in a circle surrounding the ashes of a recent campfire. Only a few red sun rays still lightened the dark sky above the top of the trees.

"So what now?" Ace inquired as the mohawk-head was dropping all his equipment on the ground.

"That's up to you. You can stay here until morning or you can try to find your way through the night despite all the zombies and beasts lurking in the shadows."

The three boys didn't need to hear any more than that, the warning was clear. They put their bags down as well, marking a pause when their guide suddenly proceeded to climb the tree with impressive ease and kept going up and up until he reached a thick branch approximately ten meters above ground level. Up there, he picked up two sacks hammered into the trunk using a knife. Carrying them barely slew him down and soon he was back at the foot of the oak. Opening the first one revealed some deadwood and dry herbs that he used to light a new fire before leaning back against the tree.

"Isn't that risky?" The greenhead asked worriedly while the raven brothers were sitting down around the warming flames. "The smoke could give our presence away."

"Highly unlikely." The stranger replied with a half-amused, half-mocking tone. "There should be no survivors close enough to notice it. Some animals are but they can't construe such signs. As for the undead, they don't even know how to think."

"Wait a minute; 'no survivors _close enough_'?" the pyro pointed out with a surprised look. "You know where some others are?"

"There are a dozen of them in a camp near the southeastern edge of the forest but you don't wanna go there."

"Why?"

"Well, a week ago, I spotted six people in a farm right outside the southern border. Then two days ago, I found the place thoroughly ransacked. Five of them had been killed using guns, knives and such like weapons. Someone had fled through a back door, probably the last one of them, but the trail ended on a nearby road. However, the many footprints at the front were easy to follow. Guess where they led me…"

The glimmer of hope shining in the eyes of the three travelers had faded as quickly as it had appeared only to be replaced by a mix of disappointment, frustration and disgust.

"You sure it wasn't the sixth one who murdered them?"

"No doubt about it. They were talking about it. Laughing even." The brunette explained, loathing written all over his face.

"But why, dammit?" The freckled raven fumed. "Why would they kill other survivors like that?"

"Humans have been slaughtering each other forever for no specific reason. That will never change, even with the world in ruins and infested with zombies. Selfishness and cruelty have always been at the heart of human nature, especially when it comes to survival."

In normal times, Ace would have sneaked in a comment regarding the man's obvious pessimism but after what he had been through and what he had just heard, he decided to remain silent. At least he had made the effort of saving them despite his grim vision of mankind.

"Man, I hope we won't come upon such guys in Clyde." He said instead.

"You're heading for Clyde?"

"Yeah, we're hoping to make it to the town's Marine base. Our grandfather is the commanding officer there." Luffy answered quicker than his brother.

"I'm afraid you won't find anything." The archer warned them, instantly becoming the focus of attention. "When all this chaos began, I was in my flat in Clyde. My first idea was the same as yours but for some reason, most of the base was destroyed before I got there. I don't know the details, all I could see from afar was a few soldiers trying to make a stand there but there was a large breach in the surrounding wall through which zombies kept coming in. I guess they could no longer hold them off at one point, so they eventually preferred blowing everything up rather than being eaten alive."

"Great, so we're back to square one… Time to start looking for another place." The swordsman calmly summed up although his disappointment could be perceived in his voice.

All four men fell silent once again, their eyes focused on the flames in front of them as they reflected on the day's events. The younger three were also pondering on their next move; they needed a new objective, a new hope to cling on.

For a long while, only the fire's crackling and the occasional far-off animal noises could be heard. This went on until the braided guy opened the second bag taken from the oak tree and took what resembled a big boar leg out of it. His guests watched him with dumbfounded eyes as he intended to roast it over the fire.

"That's some fresh meat?" The scarred teen asked with obvious great interest.

"Yeah, so what?" The stranger didn't understand what earned such looks.

"Didn't you feel anything wrong when eating it?" Ace inquired with a much more level-headed voice than his brother.

"Nope, why?"

"Well, with all that's been happening recently, you can't help but wonder if it's still edible or not."

The tattooed-face rolled his eyes and gave a deep sigh before speaking again.

"Some animals are more aggressive than before but that's all. It seems there was no consequence on the meat itself. Of course, you're free to become vegetarians until a random surviving scientist makes a decades-long study to know whether it is dangerous or not."

A giant stomach on legs cracked up after a _very_ short pause.

"You got any seconds?" Luffy asked, hungrily eyeing the meat, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth causing the greenhead to burst in laughter.

The archer stared at the younger raven for a few seconds before taking out a few more pieces. Upon seeing them, the scarred boy exploded with delight under the half-amused half-wary eyes of his partners. Still, as reluctant as those initially were, they didn't need asking to add boar meat to their own supplies in order to cook the best meal they had had the opportunity to savor since the Event.

This was but a crumb of comfort but at least it helped raising their spirits a bit after their deadly encounter and the disheartening latest revelations that had put their plan in complete jeopardy. Even the impassive stranger couldn't hold back a discreet half-smile as he watched the teen wolfing down his share of meat like he was in seventh heaven.

After dinner, the trio settled down for the night as their savior advised them to. Truth be told, they didn't have anything better to do anyway. Meanwhile, the mohawk-head would handle guard duty. Zoro and Luffy had managed it the previous day, hence why Ace had volunteered to relieve him several hours later.

The bowman soon had the nasty surprise of discovering their heavy snoring habit, loud noises preventing him from enjoying his traditional nighttime hobby: listening to the sounds of the calm, peaceful sylvan wildlife getting on with their existence under the cover of darkness; not the most exciting activity but an incredibly soothing and relaxing one after a stressful day.

Less than hour later, the scarred boy suddenly got up and went to the edge of the clearing, quickly shaking his head at the stranger as he did. The latter made sure kept an eye on him until he had returned and slipped back under his small comforter. Not out of voyeurism, mind you; he didn't mean to spy on the kid as he was relieving himself. He was merely doing his job by being careful and ensuring that nothing bad happened to him on his watch.

"What's your name?"

Certain that the teen was already in the land of dreams again, the completely unexpected question had taken the man aback. Thus he remained speechless, staring at the raven and trying to figure out why the latter was giving him that wide grin and those eyes sparkling with curiosity. Only when Luffy repeated himself did he finally answer.

"Wiper"

"Thanks for saving us Wiper!"

The archer didn't know what to say so he simply hmmed. He had never been the talkative kind anyway. Too bad for him, the Luffy was and it wasn't long until he spoke up again.

"Will you travel with us?"

"No." The tattooed man replied without a second's hesitation.

"Why not?"

"Cos' I'm home here." He explained. "This forest's been under my responsibility for more than five years, I know it like the back of my hand. There's no reason for me to leave."

"Not even the aggressive beasts, the hordes of zombies and the shooting bastards roaming around the area?" The younger man pleaded, alas to no avail.

"Right, like all the dangers of the world have gathered here." The ranger muttered with a tone bordering on mocking. "This place is as insecure as anywhere else, except I'm familiar with the terrain here. Nature's always been like a second home to me, especially woodlands. I learnt how to move stealthily in the trees, how to track down people or animals, how to use what little resources are available… My odds of survival are much higher if I stay here, so I am."

"They'd also be higher if you came with us instead of staying alone."

The brunette gave an irritated sigh. The raven was starting to annoy him greatly and he would soon run out of his ever-so limited patience. He hated having to repeat, explain or justify himself just as mush as having to deal with bothersome individuals who didn't accept his answers and who kept pestering him with worthless arguments.

"Look, I like it _here_, and I like it _alone_, got it? No need to insist, I won't change my mind."

It was the scarred boy's turn to roll his eyes with a deep, exasperated sigh before voicing his opinion, simple and straightforward as always.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Better not take any risk, even if it involves a shitty life in a dangerous area where you can do nothing but avoiding all the murdering bastards, crazy animals and blood-thirsty zombies roaming in the area. And you don't want to come with us because you're oh so super happy here… Know what I think? You keep acting all tough and confident but the truth is you're just scared shitless. You don't actually have the balls to leave here and search for a better place."

The teen's snappy retort earned him a dark glare from the mohawk-head, his dark orbs glittering with fury.

"If there's one guy who's not in a position to judge me, it's you; a naïve, reckless brat who'd be dead had I not intervened."

"So what, we should have killed these guys on the spot, with no qualms and no questions asked? Maybe you're okay with this but that's not our style."

"Good for you. So sorry that I'm not looking forward to a bastard trying to put a bullet in my head but at least I'm alive; you wouldn't, had I not saved your hide earlier."

"_Alive_?" Luffy huffed. "Don't make me laugh. You're stuck here doing nothing but enduring and you call that 'being alive'? Life is worthless if you don't do something out of it. We're trying to achieve something, you're just boring yourself to death!"

"Right, cos' your plan's so incredibly great!" Wiper sneered. "Seeking an imaginary safe haven, facing trouble after trouble while traveling there only to find out that it was all for nothing. Then doing this over and over again until the day you stupidly get killed by monsters or cold-blooded scumbags."

"Dying while trying to achieve an objective will always be better than giving up all hope and doing nothing."

"Well, my objective's to survive, not to run after some crazy utopia. I'll leave that to morons like you."

"Asshole!"

"Dumbass!"

No more words were exchanged. Instead, both wranglers sat there glaring daggers at each other for a long while as their pride forbade them to be the first one to look away. Their childish duel lasted until a yawn from the raven finally put an end to it. He took the opportunity to slip back under his small comforter although his frustration and boiling anger prevented him from falling asleep for some time.

As for the archer, he resumed his silent guard duty, impatiently waiting for the next day. The sooner that annoying brat would be gone, the better.

* * *

Being suddenly woken up right in the middle of a magnificent dream was one of Ace's top 10 most hated things. Of course, Wiper couldn't know that shaking the freckled boy's shoulder would cut short the sumptuous banquet celebrating his reunion with all his lost buddies. A gesture which resulted in a death glare from the younger guy, that is until he remembered where he actually was and why he had been roused up.

The older man was neither surprised nor embarrassed though; he'd never been a morning person either. Thus, he simply returned backwards to his tree to continue his watch and grant a few more minutes to his relief in order for him to be wide awake and accustom his eyes to darkness.

Once he was ready to take over, the pyro stood up and motioned the brunette that he could finally go get some sleep. The latter was about to do just that but something stopped him, namely the suspicious look that the raven was giving him; a deep frown and eyes glinting with concern and dubiety.

"Somethin' wrong?" He asked, careful not to sound unfriendly. He didn't want to go through another pointless argument.

"Maybe. It's faint but I believe there's some sort of light on the horizon." The fire dancer replied, pointing a finger at the forest behind the ranger. "It's like the sun's rising, except we're in the middle of night."

Relieved not no be the reason of the boy's suspicion, the mohawk-head turned around and took a few seconds to make out what appeared to be a far-off orange glow. A detail immediately crossed his mind.

"It's coming from the direction of the survivors' camp I told you about." He mentioned with a pensive tone. "Nah, that can't be it. They are miles away from here; it would take us a day to get there. There's no way we can see them from here… Could be someone with a torch, closer to us."

"I guess the best thing to do would be to have a look from a higher point, see how far from us it is exactly." Ace suggested, turning towards the Wiper as he did. Despite his apparent smirk, it was easy to read the worry on his face. "You're good at climbing trees, right?"

The braided man didn't need to hear more to understand where the pyro was going, and he didn't need any convincing either. With the same agility as earlier, he started going up the Holm oak, moving from one branch to another until he finally reached the top from where he had a much better view of the surrounding woods.

What he witnessed left him horror-struck.

This weird glow was no torch or campfire but a wildfire currently ravaging hundreds of acres, nearly a third of the forest, mostly around the south-eastern region. Shining brighter than the flames of Hell, an ardent wave was spreading at frightening speed, as if some kind of flammable product had been sprayed on every single tree prior to setting everything ablaze. Altogether, this made a huge terrifying inferno; a disgustingly beautiful scenery under the clear star-studded sky.

Once the archer finally snapped out of his shock, he climbed down the tree even faster than he had come up, letting himself fall to the ground as soon as he was low enough. He landed barely two meters away from Ace who was obviously worried at his sudden haste.

"The whole forest is burning!" He announced with an alarmed voice. "We won't be safe in this clearing, we gotta leave now!"

"Again? Fuck…"

Two minutes were enough to wake the two sleepers up and gather all the equipment. The group then launched itself into a mad race against the raging flames with the tattooed face at the front, guiding them towards the western border, closest to their position.

* * *

For approximately three hours, they dashed through the trees, giving themselves just a few very short breaks to catch their breath although they never stopped moving completely. A doe rushed past them showing little to no concern about their presence as she did, hinting that they weren't the only ones making a bolt for it. The animal kingdom was scuttling away from this infernal trap as well.

Although no bothersome survivor decided to show up on their way out, they had the nasty surprise of bumping straight into a pack of at least twenty ghouls. However, Wiper was definitely not going to let such worthless pieces of shit hamper him, not when Hell was breaking loose to fry them up. Without a second's hesitation, he charged in, using his hatchet to cut down all those that stood in his path. Zoro followed suit, katana in hand to open the way for the raven siblings.

Boosted by adrenalin and unwilling to be reduced to charred meat, they kept running, paying no attention to their aching feet, stiff muscles, burning lungs and rumbling stomachs. Only one thing mattered: getting the hell out of here. They could feel the exhaustion in their entire body but they never complained. A quick glance at the orange glow on the horizon getting brighter with each passing moment was enough to reinvigorate them. Alas, despite their velocity and the wind slowing the flames down, those were constantly gaining more ground on them. Ironically, death's clutches are said to be freezing cold, yet all they could feel was the slowly increasing heat behind them.

Still, their efforts were eventually rewarded. Breathlessness, fatigue and cautiousness didn't stop them from shouting their joy at this exact moment they emerged from the edge of the woods.

Far safety reasons, namely putting more distance between them and this inferno and not staying on open terrain where they could easily be spotted, they took but a short respite before heading for a hamlet a mile farther. Considering their appalling physical condition, they didn't bother themselves with details. Thus, they entered the first house they found and barricaded themselves using the available furniture. All they wanted was to lie down and get some rest. The younger three barely took time to take their comforters out before crashing down on the ground and leaving instantly for the land of dreams, way too tired to give a damn about guard duty.

Unlike them, despite the exhaustion taking its toll on him, Wiper couldn't sleep. An insomnia unrelated to the heavy snoring resonating in the room.

Through the window, he could see the forest going up in flames. _His_ _forest_; his own personal sanctuary, and the last link to his past life.

While mankind inspired him nothing but loathing, despising or even hatred for the worst specimens, he had always held nature in the utmost respect. The horrible sight wasn't just a personal failure as ranger of these lands, it was also the loss of what Shandian culture regarded as one the most precious treasures in the world. Beneath his emotionless mask, his inner turmoil in the face of such a disaster was so strong that he eventually let his tears fall freely.

A sudden hand on his shoulder made him jump with fright. Instead of the zombie he could already picture trying to devour him, he found Luffy standing beside him. The raven sat next to him and placed an arm around his shoulders. Not a single word was uttered; his face was more than enough to convey his compassion for the brunette. Both remained silent as they watched the infernal scene going on outside until the exhaustion was too great for the archer to stay awake any longer.

Aside from his deep sadness, his mind was also confronted with two very important questions. Of course, the first one was 'what now?'. He had until the next morning to reach a decision but deep inside him, he already knew there was only one obvious choice to make. In the end, he'd have to take up the scarred teen's offer to travel with them, at least for a time. No matter if he didn't believe in the existence of a safe haven somewhere on this planet, it would be his best chance to survive against all the dangers he'd certainly have to face.

Sadly, the second interrogation would probably remain unanswered until the end of time; the origin of this tragedy would forever remain a mystery.

Miles away from there, a young blonde man was also watching the blazing forest with an impassive face despite the stream of tears running down his face. He was the one behind this wildfire. Yet, aside from very little remorse, he was neither sad nor ashamed of what he had done, quite the contrary actually. Indeed, he had a source of great satisfaction before his eyes: nine survivors burnt alive and two more slain with his own sword as they attempted to escape, their blood still dripping from the blade. He had just killed eleven people… scratch that, eleven wicked scumbags who had deserved his wrath. Plus they were the one to blame for their violent demise. Yes, this slaughter was truly making him cry out of bitter happiness.

He had done it; he had avenged his friends…

* * *

**Author's Notes:  
**

**I told you Wiper would arrive soon, now here he is. I hope you like the way I decided to depict him in this AU, even if he's a bit OoC for now.**

**About him, I've been trying to find his exact height and age on the net but I couldn't find them anywhere. If you can provide them to me, I'd be very grateful. Until then, he'll be considered as a bit taller and older than Ace.**

**I don't think I need to say who the crazy lady from the village is. However, in case you'd be wondering, the two guys encountered in the forest are both existing characters BUT not from One Piece. Same for the blond guy at the end who comes from yet another universe. If you didn't recognize them, don't worry, it's not important. If you did, well then, congrats. :p**

**The title for this chapter is a reference to a soundtrack from an old strategy game called "Age of Wonders 2".  
**

**Thank you for reading, even more for reviewing. Don't hesitate to point any mistake, inconsistency or anything. Useful criticism is always welcome, especially for a beginner like me.**


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